James Comey Subpoenaed

Former FBI Director James Comey has received a subpoena as part of a wide-ranging federal investigation based in Florida that is examining the government’s handling of the 2016 Russia election interference probe and other cases connected to President Trump, according to sources cited by NBC News and Axios.

The investigation is being led by Jason A. Reding Quiñones, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida. Allies of President Trump have described the effort as a “grand conspiracy” inquiry. Comey’s attorney declined to comment on the subpoena, and Quiñones’ office did not respond to requests for comment. In the past, Comey has criticized attempts by the Trump administration to pursue legal action against him, arguing they amounted to political persecution. Fox News has also reported that former CIA Director John Brennan is among those being scrutinized as part of the probe into events surrounding the 2016 investigation.

The Justice Department launched the effort last year under Attorney General Pam Bondi. Prosecutors are attempting to navigate the usual statute of limitations, which generally prevents cases from reaching back a decade, by asserting that individuals involved in the alleged conspiracy continued to take actions tied to it within the past five years.

According to one source, more than 130 subpoenas have already been issued, largely to officials who served during the Obama and Biden administrations. Federal prosecutors have broad authority to request documents or testimony through grand jury subpoenas, which are typically reviewed by courts only if the recipient challenges them.

The Trump administration had previously tried to bring a case against Comey over his testimony before Congress. That effort failed after a judge ruled that the prosecutor involved in the case, who was aligned with Trump, had been improperly appointed. The Justice Department is currently appealing that decision.

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