Cobb calls Comey indictment ‘revenge’, says case likely to be dismissed

Ex-White House lawyer calls DOJ move ‘vindictive,’ dismisses seashell photo as harmless
Speaking on CNN, Cobb said the charges lack substance and are unlikely to hold up in court, questioning the overall viability of the case (CNN/YouTube)
Speaking on CNN, Cobb said the charges lack substance and are unlikely to hold up in court, questioning the overall viability of the case (CNN/YouTube)

WASHINGTON, DC: Former White House attorney Ty Cobb has sharply criticised the Justice Department’s latest indictment against former FBI Director James Comey, calling it a “classic revenge” case driven more by politics than law.

Speaking on CNN, Cobb argued the charges lack substance and are unlikely to stand in court. “It’s specious. It’ll be thrown out,” he said, suggesting the case serves as a public relations tool aimed at intimidating critics of President Donald Trump.

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 07: Former Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey speaks to
James Comey, the former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), spoke to members of the media after testifying before the joint investigation of the House Judiciary Committee and the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee in Washington, DC, on Friday, December 7, 2018 (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Seashell post at centre of controversy

The indictment stems from a social media post last May in which seashells were arranged to read “86 47.” Federal prosecutors allege the message amounted to a threat against Trump, the 47th president, leading to two charges against Comey.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the move, saying threats against the president “will never be tolerated,” noting that multiple such cases have been pursued over the past year.

Cobb, however, dismissed that interpretation as far-fetched. He argued no reasonable person would view the image as a credible threat, calling comparisons to serious acts of violence “absurd.”

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 08: Former FBI Director James Comey testifies before the Senate Intelligence C
Former FBI Director James Comey testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill, June 8, 2017, in Washington, DC (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Comey defiant, stands by innocence

Comey had deleted the post after backlash from Trump and others, saying at the time he was unaware the numbers could be interpreted as violent, and had intended it as a political message.

Responding to the new indictment, Comey remained defiant. “I’m still innocent, I’m still not afraid,” he said, expressing confidence in the federal judiciary.

Cobb reinforced that defence, noting the slang term “86” commonly means to discard or reject, arguing it carries no inherent implication of violence.

Former White House attorney Ty Cobb criticised the Justice Department’s indictment of former FBI Director James Comey as “vindictive” and politically motivated.

He argued the case, tied to a seashell photo reading “86 47,” lacks evidence and is unlikely to stand in court.

Prosecutors say the post constituted a threat against President Donald Trump, but Cobb dismissed that claim as “absurd.” Comey, who deleted the image last year, maintains it was a political message.

He said he remains “innocent” and confident in the judiciary as the case moves forward through federal court proceedings.

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