Comey Asks Court To Cancel Upcoming Appearance Over Trump Threat Case

Former FBI Director James Comey asked a federal tribunal successful North Carolina connected Thursday to cancel his upcoming appearance, arguing it is unnecessary because he already surrendered successful Virginia and has appeared earlier a judge for allegedly threatening President Donald Trump. The Department of Justice has backed his request.

Comey was indicted past week connected 2 counts of allegedly “knowingly and willfully” transmitting a threat against Trump aft posting an Instagram photograph showing seashells arranged successful nan numbers “86 47.” Prosecutors opportunity nan station amounted to a threat against Trump, nan 47th president.

Comey has denied that interpretation, saying he believed nan statement was a governmental connection he noticed connected a formation and did not intend it arsenic a threat.

He besides said he deleted nan station erstwhile he realized it was being viewed arsenic perchance violent.

He is presently group to look Monday successful a national tribunal successful Greenville, North Carolina, but his lawyers urged a judge connected Thursday to cancel that appearance. They noted that he had surrendered and appeared earlier a judge successful Virginia, wherever he lives, and that nan Justice Department has consented to their request.

The lawsuit is nan 2nd against Comey, a longtime perceived adversary of nan Republican president, brought by Trump's Justice Department. An earlier unrelated prosecution accusing Comey of making a mendacious connection to Congress was dismissed by a judge who concluded that nan charismatic who revenge nan lawsuit was illegally appointed.

Legal experts person questioned whether nan Justice Department tin meet nan precocious ineligible modular of proving that Comey intended his Instagram station to beryllium a threat. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has said investigators person grounds beyond conscionable nan station itself. He has not elaborated.

Merriam-Webster, nan dictionary utilized by The Associated Press, says 86 is slang meaning “to propulsion out,” “to get free of” aliases “to garbage work to.” It notes: “Among nan astir caller senses adopted is simply a logical hold of nan erstwhile ones, pinch nan meaning of ‘to kill.’ We do not participate this sense, owed to its comparative recency and sparseness of use.”