Judge weighs Comey bid to dismiss alleged 2016 leak case

A federal judge heard James Comey’s bid to dismiss a case accusing him of unlawfully disclosing national-defense information in 2016, then took the motion under advisement without blocking prosecutors from pursuing an indictment. U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden heard about 90 minutes of arguments on October 30. The case rests on a criminal information the Justice Department filed under seal on October 5, 2026, the 10-year anniversary of the alleged conduct, and later made public. The filing contains two counts under federal law alleging that Comey transmitted national-defense information and conspired to do so. Comey’s lawyers argue prosecutors had to secure a grand-jury indictment within the 10-year limitations period and that the information did not preserve the deadline. The Justice Department says a separate federal statute allows the information to meet that deadline. An information does not require grand-jury approval, but the government acknowledged that it cannot prosecute Comey on that document without his waiver of indictment. His lawyers say he did not waive that right. Prosecutors allege Comey directed FBI staff to discuss concerns about a Reuters report with a...