Overview

• A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia returned two counts against James Comey—false statement to Congress and obstruction tied to 2020 testimony—with the indictment unsealed Thursday.
• The case followed a leadership shake-up in EDVA, as acting U.S. attorney Lindsey Halligan took over after Erik Siebert’s departure; career prosecutors reportedly warned there was no probable cause to charge.
• Halligan, a Trump-aligned lawyer with no prior prosecutorial experience, personally presented the matter to the grand jury, and one of three proposed counts was not approved.
• President Trump publicly urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to pursue Comey and other critics, later saying he expects “others” to face charges, which critics cite as evidence of politicized prosecutions.
• Legal analysts say Trump’s statements and internal DOJ objections could fuel defense motions to dismiss for selective or vindictive prosecution during the pretrial phase.