Justice Department moves to hold James Comey accountable with third criminal information
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The U.S. Justice Department has filed a third criminal information against former FBI director James Comey for allegedly disclosing classified information, using a legal process that bypasses a grand jury, according to court documents released Monday.
The Justice Department filed a criminal information accusing former FBI director James Comey of disclosing classified national-security material, using a procedure that avoids a grand jury. The filing, unsealed in a Washington federal court on Monday, seeks to extend the ten-year statute of limitations for the case.
Comey responded in a video statement, saying the action was an "appalling abuse of the Department of Justice" and reaffirming his belief in an independent judiciary.
A department spokesperson said filing a criminal information to toll the statute of limitations is a recognized practice approved by multiple circuit courts and declined to comment further on the investigation.
The new filing follows two earlier cases against Comey: one alleging false statements to Congress about media leaks, which a judge dismissed, and another alleging threats made in a social-media post, which remains pending. Comey served as FBI director from 2013 until his dismissal in May 2017, a move that occurred amid the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.