Former FBI Director James Comey, a prominent critic of President Donald Trump, maintained his innocence on Wednesday in a trial concerning allegations of false testimony and obstruction related to a congressional inquiry.
Comey, 64, who was appointed to lead the FBI by former President Barack Obama in 2013, faces charges of lying to Congress and obstructing a congressional investigation, stemming from his sworn testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2020.
His attorney, Patrick Fitzgerald, presented arguments for Comey’s innocence before Judge Michael Nachmanoff at a federal court in Alexandria, Virginia.
Fitzgerald indicated that he plans to file a motion to dismiss the trial, labeling it as retaliatory and selective.
During the hearing, Comey spoke briefly. When asked by the judge if he understood the charges against him, he responded, “Yes, Your Honor. Thank you very much.”
The judge set the trial date for January 5 and did not impose any conditions for Comey’s release.
Comey is accused of falsely claiming that he did not authorize an FBI employee to serve as a confidential source for news reports. If convicted, he faces a maximum prison sentence of five years.
Trump dismissed Comey in 2017 amidst an investigation into whether members of his presidential campaign had colluded with Russia to influence the 2016 election.
The charges emerged just days after Trump publicly urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to take action against Comey and others he perceives as political enemies, marking a significant deviation from the principle that the Department of Justice should operate free from White House interference.
Trump, the first president in U.S. history to be convicted of a crime, praised the indictment of Comey, calling him “one of the worst characters the country has ever seen.”
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has enacted several punitive measures against those he views as adversaries.
The 79-year-old Republican has revoked security clearances from former officials and targeted law firms involved in past lawsuits against him while also withdrawing federal funding from universities.
The indictment of Comey followed the resignation of U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Eric Siebert, after reports suggested that he had informed senior Justice Department officials that there was insufficient evidence to charge Comey.
Trump replaced Siebert with his former personal attorney, Lindsey Holigan, who subsequently brought the case before a grand jury, resulting in an indictment against Comey.
Comey’s lawyer told the judge on Wednesday that he plans to challenge Holigan’s appointment as unlawful.
In a video posted on Instagram following his indictment, Comey emphasized his innocence, stating, “My family and I have known for years that there is a price to pay for standing up to Donald Trump.”
Comey’s daughter, Maureen, was unexpectedly dismissed from her position as a prosecutor in Manhattan in July and has filed a lawsuit against the Justice Department regarding her termination.
Both Maureen and Comey’s wife, Patrice Failor, attended the Alexandria court session.
Meanwhile, Trump has faced multiple investigations since leaving the White House in 2021.
The FBI raided his Mar-a-Lago estate in 2022 in connection with an investigation into the mishandling of classified documents and he has been accused by Special Counsel Jack Smith of plotting to overturn the 2020 election results.
Neither case has proceeded to trial, and Smith dropped both after Trump won the November 2024 election, in accordance with the Justice Department’s policy against prosecuting a sitting president.