Explaining the Indictments

The first count alleges that Comey lied when claiming that he did not authorize any individual in the FBI to be an anonymous source in news reports about the Crossfire Hurricane investigation—an initiative into possible conspiracy with Russians during President Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential election. The second count asserts that Comey impeded a Senate investigation. Having pleaded not guilty at his arraignment, Comey is set for trial on January 5, 2026. Comey’s tumultuous relationship with Donald Trump is outlined in his book A Higher Loyalty.

After his firing in 2017, Comey publicly criticized Trump for being “self-interested.” In particular, Comey became a longtime enemy of Trump after investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, interference that Trump vehemently denies. The false statement charge dates back to a September 30, 2020 judiciary committee hearing, during which Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) asked Comey whether he had authorized attorney and personal friend of Comey Daniel Richman to leak classified information anonymously to media outlets. The indictment alleged that his subsequent denial constitutes a false statement to Congress. Furthermore, the indictment on obstruction claims that Comey’s false statement impeded the Senate’s oversight function. The statute of limitation on these five-year charges was due to expire prior to his indictment. In their motion to dismiss, Comey’s defense team claimed the investigation was a vindictive prosecution and they argued that the prosecution was politically motivated and driven by Trump’s personal animus. On November 19, 2025, the attorney who brought charges against Comey, Lindsey Halligan, revealed to U.S. District Judge Michael Nachmanoff that a full jury did not review the final revised indictment reflecting Comey’s two charges. Comey’s attorney Michael Dreeben called for dismissal of the entire case because “no indictment was returned.” Dreeben argued that the statute of limitations on Comey’s charges had already expired since his 2020 congressional testimony. On November 24, 2025, Judge Cameron McGowan Currie dismissed Comey’s case arguing against the unlawful appointment of Halligan. The White House’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that the Justice Department would respond to “this unprecedented action.” However, Currie’s ruling still leaves open the possibility of another prosecutor pressing charges against Comey. Letitia James New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted by a federal grand jury in Virginia on October 9, 2025. She was charged with two felonies, including bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution. Both charges stemmed from her purchase of a three-bedroom home in Norfolk, Virginia in August 2020. Claims of mortgage fraud were based on documentation she provided, stating that the home would be her secondary residence. James allegedly rented it to a family of three, thus saving money on the loan. Given that James’had sued Trump in the past, she claimed that this indictment rests on political motivations. James insisted that discrepancies in the documentation were insignificant and that attempts had been made to correct them. Her 2022 civil fraud investigation into Trump, who was ordered to pay a $354.8 million penalty, as well as further outspoken criticism resulted in a public feud. James’ attorneys maintained that evidence for vengeful motivations lay in the fact that similar mortgage documentation inconsistencies were ignored for other public officials. James faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted, and her indictment reflects a similar situaJames B. Comey (Source: Yahoo News) tion to that of Comey. Her defense team likewise questions the true motivations behind investigations conducted under the Trump administration. On November 24, 2025, Judge Currie dismissed charges against James without prejudice and called Trump’s appointment of 2 interim prosecutors in succession “unlawful.” The outcome of Halligan’s appointment will not hinder another prosecutor from refiling charges against James. John Bolton John Bolton served as Trump’s National Security Advisor from 2018-2019. He was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 16, 2025, with 18 counts related to the alleged mishandling of classified national defense information. Eight of the charges were for unlawful transmission of defense information and the remaining ten for unlawful retention of that information. The indictment outlined Bolton’s offenses while in office, which included reportedly abusing his position by sharing over 1,000 pages of information about his daily tasks, national defense, and other classified information. An FBI investigation revealed that Bolton had allegedly circulated top secret information in “diary-like entries” with two relatives. He also reportedly possessed classified documents and writings relating to national defense in his Maryland residence, storing digital copies of some of these documents on personal electronic devices. Further, the indictment claims that someone believed to be associated with the Iranian government had hacked Bolton’s personal email, gaining access to classified national defense information. While his representative reported the incident in July 2021, they did not disclose that he had been using that email to transmit sensitive defense information. While Bolton served during Trump’s first term, he later became a vocal critic of the president. In his 2020 memoir, The Room Where It Happened, Bolton called Trump “corrupt” and “poorly informed.”

As National Security Advisor, Bolton advocated for taking an aggressive position on countries including North Korea and Venezuela, and he reportedly disagreed with Trump’s decision to back out of a military strike on Iran in 2019. He claimed that Trump abused power, precluded justice, sought help from China to win the 2020 election, led dysfunctionally, and altogether made decisions that would “advance his own personal and political needs ahead of the nation’s interests.” As of November 12, 2025, Bolton continues to deny wrongdoing and instead credits the accusations against him to Trump’s personal motivations. His attorney argued that the documents in his possession were either unclassified or previously handled by the FBI without action. Additionally, he reported that federal officials reviewed the content of his memoir before publishing. The indictment appears substantial despite Trump’s potentially political motives, as the case was handled with standard processes and significant evidence against him. Each count carries a maximum of 10 years in prison.v Jack Smith Former Department of Justice (DOJ) Special Counsel Jack Smith, who oversaw DOJ investigations into Trump’s alleged interference with the 2020 presidential election and handling of classified documents after leaving office, is currently under a DOJ investigation. The Justice Department’s Office of Special Council (OSC) initiated a review of his office’s conduct to determine whether Smith’s team acted properly in his prosecution of Trump. While the investigation is still ongoing, no sanctions have been made against Smith thus far. Senator Tom Cotton (R-AK) examined Smith’s potential interference in the 2024 elections, asserting that Smith’s investigations into Trump were motivated by his support of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ 2020 presidential campaigns. The DOJ launched the “Weaponization Working Group” in 2025, a team established to investigate and review similar accusations. Currently, Smith is not under threat of criminal indictment because the OSC lacks criminal enforcement authority. If there were a violation of the Hatch Act, which bars federal officers from taking advantage of their position to engage in political activities, there would only be administrative penalties, including consequences such as a ban from future federal employment. “Bolton’s offenses while in office. . . included reportedly abusing his position by sharing over 1,000 pages of information about. . .national defense, and other classified information.” John Bolton (Source: Politico)