DOJ hits Comey with fresh indictment, reigniting legal battle with ex-FBI chief

WASHINGTON, DC: James Comey has reportedly been indicted again, marking the latest legal escalation involving one of President Donald Trump’s most prominent longtime adversaries.

According to multiple media reports, published Tuesday, April 29, federal prosecutors secured a new grand jury indictment tied to a social media post Comey shared last year featuring seashells arranged in the numbers '86-47,' imagery Trump allies argued was a coded threat against the president.

Comey reportedly indicted over seashell photo

The case reportedly centers on an image Comey posted from a beach walk showing shells lined up as '86 47.'

Trump supporters interpreted the message as sinister because Trump is the 47th president, while '86' is sometimes slang for getting rid of someone.

Critics of Comey said the combination amounted to a call for violence. Trump reacted furiously at the time, saying Comey “knew exactly what that meant.”

Comey later removed the post and denied any violent intent.

“It never occurred to me,” he said afterward, adding that he believed it was simply a political message and that he opposes violence “of any kind.”

Reports say prosecutors pursued the indictment in North Carolina, where Comey owns property. Specific charges were not immediately detailed publicly.

Under US law, an indictment only means prosecutors convinced a grand jury that there was enough probable cause to proceed. It is not a conviction.

The new case follows an earlier criminal prosecution against Comey that was thrown out in court.

The previous matter accused him of false statements and obstruction linked to congressional testimony about FBI leaks.

A judge dismissed the charges after ruling that problems existed with the appointment of the prosecutor who brought the case.

Comey's years-long feud with Trump

Comey and Trump have remained locked in political conflict since 2017, when Trump fired him as FBI director during the early months of his first presidency.

That dismissal triggered the appointment of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, whose Russia investigation dominated much of Trump’s first term.

Since then, Comey has become a frequent Trump critic, while Trump has repeatedly accused him of misconduct and political bias.

Trump announces his decision to pull the United States out of the Paris climate agreement in the Rose Garden at the White House, June 1, 2017, in Washington, DC (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Comey is expected to face arraignment proceedings if the case moves forward publicly. 

Prosecutors would still need to prove criminal intent beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. For now, the new indictment signals that one of Washington’s most bitter rivalries is far from over.