Ex-FBI director James Comey to appear in court today on federal chargespublished at 13:39 BST
13:39 BST
Grace Eliza Goodwin
Live reporter
Former FBI Director James Comey is being arraigned in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia today – his first appearance in court since his indictment last month.
The Department of Justice (DoJ) charged Comey – who has been a frequent political target of Donald Trump – in September with one count of making false statements and another of obstruction of justice.
Both charges relate to statements Comey made to the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2020, when he was questioned about his handling of the DoJ’s 2016 probe into Hillary Clinton’s emails and about an investigation into pro-Trump election interference by Russia.
There are no cameras allowed in federal court, but our reporters inside will bring us all the details of how the charges are formally presented to Comey, who will enter a guilty or not guilty plea. Comey has maintained his innocence and said “let’s go to trial” in a video statement following the indictment.
In the lead-up to the indictment, Trump publicly called on Attorney General Pam Bondi to prosecute his political adversaries, including Comey, in what critics have called a blatant weaponisation of the DoJ. But the administration says this move shows that “no one is above the law”.
Stick with us – we’ll bring you updates, analyses, and expert commentary from court and beyond.