The US Justice Department has charged former FBI Director James Comey with federal crimes for a third time. In a court filing unsealed Monday in Washington DC, prosecutors charged Comey with two counts: the transmission of national defense information and conspiracy to transmit national defense information.
The government alleges that Comey illegally directed the sharing of secret national defense information ten years ago, specifically in 2016. According to the charges, the former FBI director conspired with an unnamed person to give the information to a national news outlet.
This prosecution by the Trump administration employs the unusual maneuver of bypassing a grand jury. Comey, an outspoken critic who was fired as FBI director in 2017 during Trump's first term, has been targeted by the president for years.
In response to the accusations of unlawfully divulging national security information, Comey's lawyers have asked a judge to dismiss the case.