Comey was arraigned on a two-count indictment in the Eastern District of Virginia this morning, pleading not guilty through his attorney to one count of making a false statement to Congress and a count of obstructing a congressional proceeding.
Comey spoke only once during the hearing in response to a question from the judge on whether he understood his rights, including the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney.
“I do, your honor,” Comey said. “Thank you very much.”
A trial date has been set for Jan. 5, and both parties expect it to last two to three days.
Comey’s team said they will file two sets of motions in the coming days. The first will challenge the charges as a vindictive and selective prosecution, while the second challenging Lindsey Halligan’s appointment as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, which Comey’s attorney, Patrick Fitzgerald, called “unlawful.”
They will also file additional motions related to what Fitzgerald called “grand jury abuse” and “outrageous government conduct” in the coming weeks.
The government said the case is complex, with a large number of classified information and documents. Comey’s attorney, however, said they viewed it as “simple” — a take that the judge agreed with.
“This does not appear to me to be an overly complicated case,” Judge Michael Nachmanoff said. He added that he would “not slow this case down because the government does not promptly turn everything over.”
“The government is going to be under an enormous amount of pressure to figure out what actions need to be done here,” he said.
Comey was joined in the courtroom by his wife, his daughter, his son-in-law and other members of his family.