Former FBI Director James Comey surrendered to federal authorities in Virginia after being charged over an alleged threat against President Donald Trump tied to a social media post.
Comey turned himself in at a federal courthouse in the Eastern District of Virginia and was taken into custody ahead of his initial court appearance.
He faces two federal charges: threatening the president and transmitting a threat in interstate commerce.
The case centers on an Instagram post Comey made that showed seashells arranged to form the numbers “8647.”
According to the report, critics of Trump have used “86” as slang for removing or getting rid of something, while others interpret it as a reference to killing. Trump is the 47th president, which prosecutors argue gives the number added meaning.
Comey captioned the image “Cool shell formation on my beach walk” before later deleting the post and issuing an apology.
Despite that, federal prosecutors allege he “knowingly and willfully” made a threat through the post.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the charges.
“You cannot threaten to kill the President of the United States. Full stop,” Blanche said.
Comey has denied wrongdoing.
In a video message, he said, “I’m still innocent, I’m still not afraid, and I still believe in the independent federal judiciary, so let’s go.”
A federal judge allowed Comey to be released after the hearing without imposing conditions.
He did not enter a plea at that time.
His legal team is expected to challenge the case aggressively.
Attorneys plan to argue that the prosecution is politically motivated and accuse the Justice Department of selective enforcement tied to Trump.
Blanche has denied that Trump directed the prosecution.
The controversy escalated quickly after the post surfaced.
Trump allies publicly argued the numbers amounted to a call for assassination.
Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said at the time that the Secret Service would investigate.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said Comey should face consequences and warned about threats to the president’s safety, per the Daily Mail.
The report also noted the investigation had previously been dropped before being revived.
That shift has added to claims from Comey’s defense team that the case is being pursued for political reasons.
Comey’s history with Trump adds context.
He led the FBI during the Russia investigation into the Trump campaign before being fired by Trump in 2017.
That distinction will determine whether this becomes a criminal conviction or another high-profile political case that falls apart in court.
