James Comey Charged in National Defense Information Leak Case
Source reports published 26 Oct 2026, 10:00 am – 27 Oct 2026, 10:00 am AEST
The Justice Department has charged James Comey with leaking national defense information to the New York Times in October 2016, marking the third time the department has attempted to prosecute him. The case involves an alleged disclosure of classified information while Comey was FBI Director.
What happened
- Federal prosecutors have filed criminal charges against James Comey, former FBI Director, alleging he unlawfully shared national defense information.
- The charges, filed in Washington DC on Monday, relate to an alleged disclosure of classified information to the New York Times in October 2016, while he was head of the FBI.
- Comey denied wrongdoing in a video statement, calling the charges an "appalling abuse" of the Department of Justice.
- His lawyer, Patrick Fitzgerald, stated that the charges were related to a 5 October 2016 New York Times article that had already been investigated by prosecutors.
- The Justice Department filed a "criminal information" to extend the statute of limitations, a practice approved by multiple Circuit Courts of Appeals.
- Comey’s lawyers argued the indictment should be dismissed due to the expired statute of limitations and previous investigations that determined no charges should be brought.
Original reporting
- BBC: Ex-FBI chief James Comey faces federal charges for third time
2026-10-26T21:59:28.995000+00:00 - Guardian: Justice department charges ex-FBI director James Comey for third time
2026-10-26T00:00:00+00:00 - NPR: Trump administration attempting to prosecute former FBI Director James Comey again
2026-10-26T00:00:00+00:00 - Al Jazeera: Ex-FBI chief Comey defiant in the face of third prosecution
2026-10-27T00:00:00+00:00 - PBS NewsHour: Trump administration charges former FBI Director James Comey for the third time
2026-10-26T22:01:32+00:00 - Washington Examiner: James Comey charged in national defense information leak case
2026-10-26T21:57:23+00:00