The former FBI director, James Comey, has been indicted on the grounds that he allegedly incited the assassination of Donald Trump, in a supposed cryptic message, when he posted a photo on Instagram of shells arranged in the shape of “86 47” – a slang expression interpreted by prosecutors as “eliminate the 47th president”. If found guilty, he faces up to 10 years in prison.
The American Department of Justice believes that James Comey, the former FBI chief, sent a message with the “intention to harm” after he posted a photo on Instagram last year of shells arranged to form the message 86 47, on a beach in North Carolina. In the prosecutors’ interpretation, “86” is a slang term that can mean “eliminate” or “get rid of”, and “47” would refer to the fact that Trump is the 47th president of the USA. Based on this interpretation, Comey is accused of conveying a message suggesting violence against the head of state.
James Comey rejects the accusations and says he did not see the post as a threat. He stated that he found the shells arranged in this way and assumed they represented a political message, but did not know that the figures could be associated with violence. Following the reactions that emerged, he deleted the photo and clarified that he opposes any form of violence. In a video message published after the announcement of the indictment, Comey said he is innocent, that he is not afraid, and that he trusts the federal judicial system.
The file contains two charges: threatening the President of the United States and transmitting a threat through inter-state communication means (as he posted the message online). If found guilty, he faces up to 10 years in prison.
The acting Attorney General, Todd Blanche, stated that “the threat to anyone’s life is dangerous and may constitute a crime”, emphasizing that such acts against the president will not be tolerated.
This is the second criminal case opened against Comey in recent months. In a previous case, he was accused of lying to Congress and obstructing a legislative procedure, but the judge dismissed the charge, considering that the prosecutor who handled the case was not legally appointed.
The new trial reignites the old conflict between Donald Trump and James Comey. Trump fired Comey in 2017, during the time when the FBI was investigating possible links between Trump’s campaign team and Russia in the 2016 elections. Since then, the two have publicly criticized each other on numerous occasions. Critics of the Trump Administration say that the Department of Justice is being used to target the president’s opponents. Government representatives reject these accusations and say that “any threat to the president is taken seriously, regardless of the person involved”.