BERLIN, GERMANY - JUNE 19: Former FBI Director James Comey talks backstage before a panel discussion about his book "A Higher Loyalty" on June 19, 2018 in Berlin, Germany. Comey is in Berlin at the invitation of the American Academy in Berlin. (Photo by Carsten Koall/Getty Images)
Former FBI Director James Comey has denounced the Trump administration's charges as political retribution [File: Carsten Koall/Getty Images]
Published On 26 Oct 2026

James Comey, the former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), is facing a third set of criminal charges under the administration of United States President Donald Trump.

On Monday, sealed documents came to light showing that the Trump administration accused Comey of two counts related to the unlawful dissemination of “information related to national defence”.

Comey, a high-profile Trump critic, has not been indicted in the case. He has denied any wrongdoing.

But it is the third time the Trump administration has sought to level a criminal case against the former FBI director since the president returned to office in January 2025.

In a video on the online platform Substack, Comey once again denounced the Trump administration’s attempts to prosecute him as a campaign of political retribution.

“Well, now they’re back again. it would almost be funny if it weren’t such an appalling abuse of the Department of Justice, one that we cannot become numb to,” Comey said.

“Nothing’s changed with me. I’m still innocent, and I’m still not afraid of these people, and I still believe in the independent federal judiciary.”

He also noted that Trump is only midway through his second term, and he hinted that he expects more criminal charges to come.

“The next couple years are going to be hard for all of us,” Comey added. “It’s really important that we stand straight and keep the faith in America.”

The latest charges pertain to a New York Times article from October 5, 2016, which describes how the email platform Yahoo was ordered to scan traffic on its site for a specific computer signature allegedly tied to a “terrorist” organisation.

Prosecutors have accused Comey of directing sensitive information to be disclosed to the reporter on that story, Charlie Savage.

In a statement released to news media, Comey’s defence team framed the charges as feeble, claiming that the government had already investigated the matter before.

“Both times the Government determined that no charges should be brought against anyone,” the statement said. “Now, ten years after the article was published, the Government filed an ‘Information’ against Mr. Comey that was not approved by a judge nor issued by a grand jury. It purports to charge Mr. Comey with crimes that he did not commit.”

More details to come.