Former FBI Director James Comey Indicted Over ‘86 47’ Seashell Instagram Post

Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted Tuesday in the Eastern District of North Carolina over a social media post that federal officials claim constituted a threat against President Donald Trump. An arrest warrant has been issued for Comey, who now faces charges of making a threat against the president and transmitting a threat in interstate commerce.

The indictment centers on an Instagram photograph Comey posted last May showing seashells arranged to read "86 47." In the caption, Comey wrote, "Cool shell formation on my beach walk." Prosecutors argue that "86" is slang for eliminating or killing something, while "47" refers to Trump’s status as the 47th president. The government alleges the arrangement was a serious expression of intent to do harm.

The charges carry a potential prison sentence of up to 10 years. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the case during a Tuesday press conference, stating that the Department takes all threats against individuals seriously. Blanche noted that the indictment was returned by a grand jury and that the case will proceed like hundreds of others handled by the Justice Department annually.

Legal and security experts have raised questions about the viability of the case, noting the high threshold for "true threats" under the First Amendment. Comey previously removed the post, claiming he viewed the shells as a political message and did not realize the numeric sequence was associated with violence. This marks the second attempt by the current administration to prosecute Comey; a previous case involving press leaks was dismissed last year.

The indictment comes as the Justice Department ramps up investigations into other political figures, including former CIA Director John Brennan and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. Meanwhile, a federal judge recently allowed a retaliatory firing lawsuit brought by Comey’s daughter, Maurene Comey, to proceed against the Justice Department.

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