(MENAFN- Live Mint) Former FBI Director James Comey pleaded not guilty on Wednesday (October 8) to criminal charges alleging he made false statements to Congress and obstructed a congressional investigation . The case, widely viewed as politically sensitive, has intensified concerns that the Justice Department is being used to target adversaries of President Donald Trump .

The arraignment, held in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, lasted less than 30 minutes. Comey's attorney, Patrick Fitzgerald, called the prosecution politically motivated and said his team plans to file motions to dismiss the case, including challenges to the appointment of US Attorney Lindsey Halligan, a former personal lawyer to Trump with no prior federal prosecutorial experience.

“It's the honor of my life to represent Mr. Comey in this matter,” Fitzgerald told the court.

Charges overview

The two-count indictment alleges that Comey falsely told the Senate Judiciary Committee on September 30, 2020, that he had not authorized an associate to serve as an anonymous source to the media, and that he obstructed a congressional proceeding . The indictment does not identify the associate or the information shared, leaving the strength of the evidence unclear.

The trial is scheduled to begin on January 5, 2026, though the date could change pending pretrial motions.

Political context

The case follows Trump publicly urging Attorney General Pam Bondi to take action against Comey and other political adversaries. Halligan, installed as US Attorney shortly before the indictment, filed charges despite warnings from career prosecutors. Two additional prosecutors from North Carolina were assigned to the case.

Comey is not the only Trump critic under federal investigation; New York Attorney General Letitia James and California Senator Adam Schiff are also being probed, which critics describe as politically motivated.

Family ties

Several Comey family members attended the arraignment, including his daughter Maurene Comey, recently fired from her federal prosecutor role in Manhattan , and his son-in-law, Troy Edwards Jr., who resigned from his post in the Eastern District of Virginia following Comey's indictment.

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The indictment represents the latest chapter in the fraught relationship between Trump and Comey, dating back to January 2017 when Comey briefed then-President-elect Trump on Russian election interference and opposition research. Trump repeatedly sought Comey's loyalty and requested that investigations be dropped or publicly cleared, including the probe into Michael Flynn and Trump himself. Comey refused to comply.

Comey was fired in May 2017 amid the Russia investigation, which later prompted Special Counsel Robert Mueller's inquiry into potential obstruction of justice.

(With AP inputs)

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