Comey Trial Date Set for January 5th in Case Stemming from Trump Request
Former FBIโ Director James Comey pleaded not guilty onโ Wednesday to โขfederal criminal โcharges that President Donald โคTrump had previously requestedโ be brought againstโข him.โ U.S. District judge Michael Nachmanoff scheduled the trial โขto beginโค on January 5th in Alexandria, Virginia.
Comey’s attorney, Patrick Fitzgerald, and prosecutors anticipateโข the trial will last between โคtwo and three days. The charges stem fromโ accusations โขthat Comey made a false statementโข and obstructed โฃa congressional proceeding during testimony before a โฃSenateโ committeeโ in 2020.
The โcase is being โhandledโ by two federal prosecutors from North Carolina,aโฃ detail observers note โsuggests difficulty for interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern โคDistrict of Virginia, Lindsey Halligan, โinโฃ securing prosecutors from her ownโ office.โข Halligan was appointed by Trump following theโ resignation of her predecessor, Erik siebert, reportedly due to Siebert’sโฃ reluctance โขto pursue a grand juryโข indictment of Comey.
Fitzgerald informed Judge Nachmanoff on Wednesday that Halligan’s appointment was “unlawful,” according to NBCโ News.He also stated hisโ intention to file motions alleging “abuse” of โฃthe โขgrand jury and “outrageous government conduct” related to the indictment.
Both Nachmanoff โand Fitzgerald challenged theโ prosecution’s assertion that the case wouldโ be complex and involve โa โsignificant amount of classified details. โ”Weโค view this as a simple case,” Fitzgerald stated, as reported by NBC. Nachmanoff echoed this sentiment, โคsaying, โ”This does notโค appear to me to be an overly complicated case.”
The judge cautioned prosecutorsโค against โขdelaying the proceedingsโค due to slow evidence disclosure, emphasizing the prosecution’s obligation to promptly provideโข finding materials to the defence.He โwarned,”The government โis going to be under an enormous amount of pressureโ to figure out whatโค actions need to be done here.”
Following โhis indictment in โlate september, Comey released โขan Instagramโข video stating, “I am not afraid.” He continued, “My family and I have โknown for yearsโ that there are costs to standing up to Donald trumpโฆBut we couldn’t imagine ourselves living any โother way. Weโฃ will notโ live โon our knees and you shouldn’t either.”
The charges relate โขto Comey’s testimony on September 30, โ2020, before the Senate Judiciary Committee, where he denied authorizing โคsomeone else atโ the FBI toโ be an anonymous source in news reports concerning โฃa probe into โคHillaryโ clinton’s emails during the 2016 presidential campaign.