James Comey, including a newly assigned federal judge, a recent indictment, and the revival of another investigation connected to his handling of sensitive government information.
A federal case against Comey has been assigned to Louise W. Flanagan of the Eastern District of North Carolina. Flanagan, who was appointed by former President George W. Bush in 2003, reportedly received the case through a random assignment process. The indictment alleges that Comey threatened President Donald Trump through a May 2025 Instagram post showing seashells arranged in an “86 47” pattern. Prosecutors claim the post formed part of a broader pattern of conduct that resulted in criminal charges approved by a grand jury.
According to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, the case was not based solely on the social media image. In a television interview, Blanche explained that federal prosecutors, FBI agents, and Secret Service investigators conducted a year-long investigation before seeking an indictment. He emphasized that grand jury proceedings involved additional evidence beyond the Instagram post, although he declined to disclose specific details because of legal restrictions surrounding grand jury secrecy.
At the same time, another federal investigation involving Comey has reportedly been reopened in the Eastern District of Virginia. That probe centers on allegations that Comey improperly leaked classified or sensitive information after sharing memos documenting private conversations with Trump. The memos were reportedly given to Daniel Richman, a close associate of Comey, who then shared information from them with The New York Times
. Those disclosures helped fuel public attention surrounding the Russia investigation during Trump’s first presidential term in 2017.
The report states that prosecutors are now examining whether Comey violated laws related to classified information or unauthorized disclosure of government materials. Officials are reportedly considering whether any future charges should be filed in Virginia, where Comey lives, or in New York, where Richman resides.
The article also draws attention to what it describes as irony surrounding the legal standards for classified materials. It references arguments made during the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case involving Trump, where federal authorities maintained that executive branch agencies determine classification status. The article suggests that if the current Justice Department determines Comey’s memos were classified, it could undermine his past claims that the documents were not protected government secrets.
Overall, the story portrays Comey as facing multiple active legal and political challenges, including investigations tied to social media activity, alleged threats, and the handling of sensitive government communications.
