James Comey issued a public response after a federal judge dismissed the criminal case brought against him.
On Monday, a federal judge threw out the cases involving James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. The dismissal was without prejudice, meaning the charges can be refiled.
According to the White House, the Justice Department plans to appeal immediately. Judge Cameron McGowan Currie, who was appointed during the Clinton administration, ruled that U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan’s appointment violated the Constitution’s Appointments Clause. The judge also concluded that Attorney General Pam Bondi’s effort to retroactively validate Halligan’s actions was “ineffective.”
Comey sharply criticized President Trump, accusing him of using the Justice Department to target political opponents—despite Comey himself having previously faced accusations of improper surveillance on President Trump and giving misleading statements to Congress.
“A message has to be sent that the president of the United States cannot use the Department of Justice to target his political enemies,” Comey said in a video posted to Instagram.
“I don’t care what your politics are—you have to see that as fundamentally un-American and a threat to the rule of law that keeps all of us free,” he added.
Comey also predicted that President Trump may pursue additional action against him.
“I know that Donald Trump will probably come after me again. My attitude is going to be the same: I’m innocent, I’m not afraid, and I believe in an independent federal judiciary,” Comey said.