NC prosecutors deny Trump influence in '86 47' case

Federal prosecutors in North Carolina have formally denied that President Donald Trump or senior Justice Department officials influenced their decision to indict former FBI Director James Comey over a social media post depicting seashells arranged to read "86 47." In court filings submitted late Tuesday, the government argued the prosecution was independently initiated by the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina and asked the court to reject Comey’s motions to dismiss the case on grounds of vindictive and selective prosecution.

The indictment, handed up by a federal grand jury on April 28, 2026, charges Comey with threatening the president and broadcasting the threat over interstate lines. The charges stem from an Instagram post made by Comey on May 15, 2025, which showed seashells on a North Carolina beach he said he had found arranged as "86 47." Comey deleted the post the same day, stating he did not realize some people associated the phrase "86" with violence. The term is commonly defined as slang for discarding or removing something, while "47" refers to Trump’s status as the 47th president.

In his own filings to seek dismissal, Comey has argued the...