Former FBI Director James Comey pleads not guilty
UPDATE (8:26 AM): Former FBI Director James Comey pleaded not guilty to federal charges Wednesday morning.
Comey's family could be seen entering the Alexandria, Virginia courthouse before the arraignment hearing.
Comey was arraigned on charges of making a false statement to congress and obstruction of a congressional proceeding.
At Wednesday's arraignment, he pleaded not guilty, waived the reading of the indictment and requested a jury trial. That trial is now set for January 5, 2026.
The charges were brought against Comey after a public campaign by President Donald Trump to prosecute him.
The Trump administration accuses Comey of lying to Congress about having authorized a third party to speak anonymously to the media about an FBI investigation.
Comey told Congress in 2017 he did not authorize any leaks related to an investigation, and he told the Senate again in 2020, "I stand by the testimony."
Comey became the subject of Trump's ire after he helped spark Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
(CNN, KYMA) - It's arraignment day for President Donald Trump's nemesis: former FBI Director James Comey.
He's charged with making false statements to Congress and obstruction of a congressional proceeding.
The Justice Department alleges he lied to lawmakers about whether he authorized an FBI media leak.
Critics say the charges are revenge for Comey's investigation into Trump's 2016 campaign.
Many legal analysts say the case is so weak, it never should have been filed.
No signatures from any career DOJ attorneys are on the indictment and so far, no local prosecutors are on the docket.
Comey's investigation of the 2016 Trump campaign involves allegations of its ties to the Russian government.
A 2019 report from Special Council Robert Mueller concludes no such conspiracy or coordination occurred.
It adds, "The campaign expected it would benefit electorally from information stolen and released through Russian efforts."
