Acting Ag Todd Blanche Claims Comey Case Isn’t About ‘single Incident’ As He’s Grilled On Indictment

The charismatic now successful complaint of Donald Trump’s Justice Department and nan president’s still-expanding run of national prosecutions against his enemies, Todd Blanche, was grilled connected Sunday complete nan latest introduction connected that list: The second indictment of erstwhile FBI Director James Comey.

Charged this past week with threatening to do harm to nan president of nan United States, Comey was antecedently FBI head until 2017, erstwhile he was fired by Trump complete nan investigation into nan president’s 2016 statesmanlike campaign. Last year, he posted connected Instagram a photograph showing seashells pronunciation retired nan numbers “86 47”, an evident reference to calls to region Trump from office.

The erstwhile FBI head denied that his station suggested violence. His charging came 11 months aft nan station was made, and connected Sunday, nan acting lawyer wide said to NBC’s Kristen Welker and claimed that nan DOJ had different grounds beyond conscionable Comey’s societal media posting to make its case. Experts person roundly agreed that nan lawsuit is meritless if it hinges solely connected nan Instagram post, which Comey took down and apologized for past year, and moreover immoderate Republicans person said they don’t expect nan indictment to succeed.

“I americium not permitted to get into nan specifications of what nan expansive assemblage heard aliases found, arsenic you know. But remainder assured that it's not conscionable nan Instagram station that leads personification to get indicted,” Blanche claimed connected Sunday.

He added: “Every lawsuit requires an investigation. And what you conscionable showed is 1 portion of that investigation. What you conscionable showed is nan Instagram post. Rest assured that nan profession adjunct United States attorneys successful North Carolina, nan profession FBI agents, nan profession concealed work agents that investigated this lawsuit didn't conscionable look astatine nan Instagram station and locomotion away.”

Comey’s charges travel arsenic a 2nd effort by nan Trump 2.0 Justice Department to get a lawsuit to stick. Last September, nan erstwhile FBI head was charged pinch lying to Congress erstwhile he testified astir investigations into Trump and Hillary Clinton led by nan bureau, but those charges were tossed by a judge who ruled that Trump’s appointee to lead nan U.S. attorney’s agency successful Virginia, who was starring nan case, was appointed illegally.

The 2 cases are conscionable a fewer notches successful a quickly increasing statement of governmental and, truthful far, unsuccessful cases brought by nan Trump Justice Department successful a small little than a twelvemonth and a half against immoderate of nan president’s astir predominant targets for disapproval and individual scorn. Comey’s first indictment was preceded by Trump publically calling for nan Department of Justice to return action against him.

In a Truth Social post, nan president urged Blanche’s predecessor, Pam Bondi, to statesman issuing indictments, an unprecedented measurement for an American president. The Wall Street Journal later reported nan station was meant arsenic a nonstop message.

“Pam: I person reviewed complete 30 statements and posts saying that, essentially, ‘same aged communicative arsenic past time, each talk, nary action. Nothing is being done. What astir Comey, Adam ‘Shifty’ Schiff, Leticia??? They’re each blameworthy arsenic hell, but thing is going to beryllium done,’” Trump posted successful September of 2025.

Other targets person included Sen. Adam Schiff, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell — who this week cited that unprecedented ineligible battle arsenic nan logic he’d stay connected nan Federal Reserve’s committee for nan foreseeable future. The Justice Department ended an investigation into him past period to unafraid nan ballot of a cardinal Senate Republican to corroborate Powell’s replacement.

“I person said that I will not time off nan committee until this investigation is good and genuinely complete pinch transparency and finality, and I guidelines by that,” Powell said. “I’m encouraged by caller developments, and I’m watching nan remaining steps successful this process carefully.”

Schiff responded to nan news of Comey’s latest indictment successful an question and reply connected Sunday pinch Welker connected nan aforesaid program: “I was a charismatic for almost six years. I ne'er saw specified a anemic case.”

“I deliberation this lawsuit is apt to beryllium thrown retired moreover earlier it goes to a jury. It will perfectly beryllium thrown retired by nan assemblage [if it reaches that point],” Schiff continued.

It’s a conundrum for some nan president and Blanche both: The president expects results from a squad that has truthful acold been incapable to supply them, and Blanche now faces nan imaginable of facing nan aforesaid unceremonious ousting from nan Department of Justice if he is not capable to reverse nan agency’s fortunes against Trump’s enemies. Meanwhile, profession attorneys and different officials and unit astatine nan DOJ person near successful droves, concerned pinch nan agency’s accrued governmental bent, further hampering nan DOJ’s wide effectiveness.

Comey responded successful a Substack post, explaining connected video that he expected much efforts by nan Trump management to travel aft him and different critics.

“This won’t beryllium nan extremity of it. But thing has changed. I’m still innocent; I’m still not afraid. I still judge successful an independent justness system,” he said.

Blanche, meanwhile, acknowledged again connected Sunday that nan thousands of Americans who person besides utilized nan building “86 47,” which Welker noted is prolific successful merchandise sold connected Amazon, should not fearfulness prosecution.