Summary (tl;dr)

Former FBI Director James Comey has been indicted for a second time by the Trump Justice Department, with the new charges reportedly stemming from an Instagram post he made last year featuring seashells arranged to read "86 47," which some interpreted as a threat against President Donald Trump.

Essential Background

James Comey, who served as Director of the FBI before being fired by President Trump in 2017, has been a vocal critic of the President. He was previously indicted in September 2025 by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia on charges of making false statements to Congress and obstruction, related to his 2020 testimony concerning the FBI's investigation into links between Russia and the 2016 Trump presidential campaign. However, that first indictment was dismissed in November 2025 by a federal judge who ruled that the prosecutor overseeing the case had been unlawfully appointed. Last year, Comey posted an image on Instagram of seashells forming the numbers "86 47," which garnered significant attention and led to an investigation by the Secret Service, who interviewed Comey about the post in May 2025.

The Full Story

On April 28, 2026, James Comey was indicted for a second time by President Trump's Justice Department. While the specific charges remain undisclosed, sources familiar with the proceedings indicate the indictment, filed in the Eastern District of North Carolina, focuses on an Instagram photo Comey shared last year. The photo depicted seashells arranged to spell "86 47," which ignited controversy as many interpreted "86" as slang for "to get rid of" or "remove," and "47" as a reference to President Trump, the 47th president. Comey quickly deleted the post and issued an apology, stating he did not realize the numbers were associated with violence and had initially perceived the arrangement as merely a political message.

Why It Matters

This second indictment of James Comey by the Trump Justice Department is seen by many as a continuation of efforts to target a prominent critic of the President, raising significant concerns about the politicization of federal law enforcement. The initial dismissal of Comey's first indictment due to an improperly appointed prosecutor further fuels debate over the legal legitimacy and motivations behind these ongoing prosecutions. The repeated legal actions underscore the deep and persistent tensions between Comey and President Trump, and their implications for the independence of the Justice Department.

Geographic Location

• Eastern District of North Carolina, United States (location of the second indictment against James Comey)
• Eastern District of Virginia, United States (location of the first indictment against James Comey and its subsequent dismissal)
• Washington, D.C., District of Columbia, United States (location where James Comey previously testified before Congress and the headquarters of the Justice Department)