NewsWPLG Local 10October 27, 2026Miami-Dade County
Trump administration files criminal information against former FBI Director James Comey over 2016 leak allegations
Photo: WPLG Local 10
The Trump administration filed a criminal information against former FBI Director James Comey to extend the statute of limitations regarding a 2016 media leak of classified information. Comey's lawyers asked a judge to dismiss the filing, arguing it is legally invalid because prosecutors did not secure a grand jury indictment within the required 10-year period.
Read the full story at WPLG Local 10Why It Matters
The Justice Department's action represents an ongoing criminal investigation involving a decade-old disclosure and marks the third time in slightly over a year that federal prosecutors have attempted to bring criminal charges against the former FBI director.
Key Facts
- The Justice Department filed a criminal information against former FBI Director James Comey regarding an October 2016 news leak of classified information.
- Comey's defense team asked a federal judge to dismiss the filing, asserting it was filed without a grand jury indictment and outside the 10-year statute of limitations.
- The underlying allegation involves an October 2016 New York Times story concerning a secret court order requiring Yahoo to scan emails.
- Federal prosecutor John Durham previously investigated the disclosure in 2018 and wrote a memo recommending no criminal charges.
- A second investigation opened by the U.S. Attorney's office for the District of Columbia in January 2019 was closed without charges in February 2020.
- Prosecutors allege Comey directed staff to speak to a journalist to correct press misinformation and thereby illegally transferred classified information.
- This is the third time in a little more than a year that the Justice Department has attempted to charge Comey with a federal crime.
- A federal judge recently ruled that the firing of James Comey's daughter, Maurene Comey, from her Justice Department job last year was illegal.
Who's Mentioned
OrganizationJustice Department“Federal executive department prosecuting the case”OrganizationFBI“Federal Bureau of Investigation”locationWASHINGTON“Dateline location of the news report”locationNew York“Location where Maurene Comey worked”OrganizationNew York Times“News publication that ran the 2016 story”PersonHunter Biden“Subject of previous FBI investigations”PersonRobert Mueller“Special counsel”PersonGeorge W. Bush“Former U.S. President”PersonIlhan Omar“Democratic congresswoman from Minnesota”OrganizationForeign Intelligence Surveillance Court“Secret court that issued the 2016 order”OrganizationReuters“News organization that published a prior story”locationMinnesota“State represented by Representative Ilhan Omar”OrganizationYahoo“Technology company involved in the 2016 court order”PersonPatrick Fitzgerald“Attorney for James Comey”PersonMaurene Comey“Former Justice Department prosecutor and daughter of James Comey”locationVirginia“Location of the first dismissed criminal case against Comey”PersonJohn Durham“Federal prosecutor”PersonDonald Trump“President of the United States”PersonBarack Obama“Former U.S. President”PersonJames Comey“Former FBI Director”OrganizationU.S. Attorney’s office for the District of Columbia“Opened a second investigation in January 2019”