DOJ Files Two-Count Information Accusing James Comey

The Justice Department has filed a two-count criminal information accusing former FBI Director James Comey of directing the 2016 disclosure of national defense information to a reporter and conspiring to do so. The filing was made in Washington on October 5 and unsealed on October 26, 2026. It is not a grand-jury indictment, and Comey denies wrongdoing. The information alleges that Comey directed an unnamed person, with one or more alleged coconspirators, to disclose the information to a reporter for a national news publication. It does not identify the reporter, publication, alleged coconspirators or the information allegedly disclosed. Comey’s lawyer, Patrick Fitzgerald, says the case concerns a New York Times article published October 5, 2016. The Justice Department said it filed the information to toll the 10-year statute of limitations while its investigation continues. A department spokesperson described filing an information for that purpose as a recognized practice. The legal effect is disputed: Fitzgerald argues the deadline applies to a grand-jury indictment and cannot be extended by this filing. A court ruling on that question could determine whether the prosecution...