Former FBI Director James Comey Indicted by Federal Grand Jury on False Statement and Obstruction Charges
On September 25, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia had indicted former FBI Director James Comey, charging him with making a false statement to Congress and obstructing a congressional investigation in connection with the disclosure of sensitive information. The former director, who had overseen the bureau's 2016 election-related investigations, now faces criminal charges himself.
According to the Justice Department, Comey is charged with obstructing a congressional investigation in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1505, and with making a false statement in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001. The indictment alleges that, testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee on September 30, 2020, Comey stated that he did not authorize someone at the FBI to be an anonymous source in news reports, and that the statement was false. The department said each count carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
The case was presented to the grand jury by Lindsey Halligan, the interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. In a statement, she said the charges "represent a breach of the public trust at an extraordinary level." The case will be heard at the federal courthouse in Alexandria.
"No one is above the law," said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. "Today's indictment reflects this Department of Justice's commitment to holding those who abuse positions of power accountable for misleading the American people. We will follow the facts in this case." FBI Director Kash Patel also issued a statement, saying the bureau was continuing its work of full accountability.
Comey responded in a video the same day, saying his heart was broken for the Department of Justice but that he had great confidence in the federal judicial system, that he was innocent, and that he wanted a trial. The Justice Department emphasized that an indictment is merely an allegation, and that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
(Source: U.S. Department of Justice)
Source: U.S. Department of Justice
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于弗吉尼亚州 Alexandria 的 Albert V. Bryan 联邦法院大楼，科米案在此审理。dctim1 摄，CC BY-SA 2.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。/ Photo: The Albert V. Bryan United States Courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia, where the Comey case is being heard. Photo by dctim1, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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