Former FBI Director James Comey pleaded not guilty Wednesday in the Justice Department case accusing him of lying to Congress.
Comey appeared before U.S. District Judge Michael Nachmanoff at the federal courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia. Nachmanoff is an appointee of former President Joe Biden.
Before the arraignment, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told Fox News that Comey would not be paraded in front of news media for a so-called perp walk during his arraignment, The Hill reported.
Defense lawyers will almost certainly move to get the indictment dismissed before trial, possibly by arguing that the case amounts to a selective or vindictive prosecution by President Donald Trump’s administration.
Comey could face a maximum of five years in prison if convicted, CNN reported.
Comey was indicted Sept. 25 on criminal charges of false statements and obstruction.
In a social media post on X, Attorney General Pam Bondi said the indictment shows the Justice Department’s commitment to accountability.
“No one is above the law,” Bondi posted. “Today’s indictment reflects this Department of Justice’s commitment to holding those who abuse positions of power accountable for misleading the American people. We will follow the facts in this case.”
The two-count indictment alleges Comey made a false statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Sept. 30, 2020, by denying he had authorized an associate to serve as an anonymous source to the news media and that he obstructed a congressional proceeding.
Comey has denied any wrongdoing and has said he was looking forward to a trial.
The indictment does not identify the associate or say what information may have been discussed with the media, making it challenging to assess the strength of the evidence or to even fully parse the allegations.
Trump fired Comey in 2017, early in the Republican president’s first term in office.
The president has since regularly assailed Comey’s handling of the FBI investigation that detailed contacts between Russians and Trump’s 2016 campaign.
Nachmanoff was randomly assigned to the case after a Virginia grand jury indicted Comey.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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