Fact Check: Were charges against James Comey dropped because his name was misspelled?
WASHINGTON, DC: Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted in September by a grand jury in Virginia on two charges — making false statements to lawmakers and obstructing a congressional proceeding.
He was indicted a few days after President Donald Trump urged his attorney general to take action against him.
Recently, a rumor circulated online claiming that charges against Comey were dropped because his name was misspelled as "Homey." But is there any truth to this? Let us find out below.
Claim: Charges against James Comey were dropped as his name was misspelled
In October 2025, a rumor went viral claiming that federal charges against the former FBI director were dropped because the prosecutor misspelled his name as "Homey."
A Facebook post mentioned, "ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA—A federal judge dismissed all charges against former FBI Director James Comey on Wednesday after Donald J Trump's handpicked US attorney misspelled his name as 'Homey'."
"The attorney, Lindsey Halligan, begged the judge to overlook the error, which she blamed on 'frickin’ autocorrect'. 'This is the first time I’ve charged someone', Halligan pleaded. 'Indictmenting is hard'. In yet another embarrassing spelling goof, Halligan referred to the attorneys she ordered to charge Comey as his 'persecutors'," the post further read.
The rumor also circulated across X (formerly Twitter), where the same post was shared by a user.
Fact Check: False, the viral post was a piece of satire
The claims made in the online rumor are false, as it originated from The Borowitz Report, a publication created by comedian Andy Borowitz that describes its output as satire.
"I've been writing satirical news since I was eighteen. This represents either commitment to a genre or arrested development," the site's About page mentioned.
Moreover, searches on search engines such as Google and Bing showed no results from any reputable media outlet covering this news. If the rumor were true, several media organizations would have reported it.
The fictional story spread online after Comey's indictment by a grand jury in Virginia for making a false statement and obstruction of a congressional proceeding.
James Comey pleads not guilty
James Comey pleaded not guilty to charges of making false statements and obstructing a congressional hearing during his first court appearance in Virginia on Wednesday, October 8.
He appeared before District Judge Michael S Nachmanoff at the Albert V Bryan US Courthouse in Alexandria, accompanied by his wife, Patrice, and daughter, Maureen, who were seen waiting outside the courthouse before proceedings began.
Judge Nachmanoff, an appointee of former President Joe Biden, scheduled oral arguments for November 19 and December 9, with jury selection set to begin on January 5, 2026.
Comey spoke briefly during the hearing when the judge asked if he understood the charges. "I do, Your Honor. Thank you very much," he said.
Moreover, his attorney, Patrick Fitzgerald, told the court that representing Comey "is the honor of my life." The attorney added that the defense plans to file motions alleging vindictive and retaliatory prosecution, as well as outrageous government conduct.
