Comey Seeks Dismissal of Perjury Case

Former FBI Director James Comey has claimed that the case against him for perjury should be dismissed, suggesting that the prosecutors are not taking the matter seriously. He pointed out that only one government attorney was willing to engage with him in court.

In recent court filings, Comey, 64, argued that the appointment of Lindsey Harrigan, the inexperienced interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, shows that the prosecution is simply a politically motivated attack, possibly in retaliation for Comey’s role in the FBI’s “Russiagate” investigation during Trump’s presidency.

Comey’s legal team emphasized that despite Trump’s public calls for prosecution, no seasoned prosecutors chose to bring forth this case. Instead, they accused the administration of appointing a White House aide lacking in prosecutorial experience to pursue this outcome.

Harrigan, 36, formerly a beauty queen in Colorado and a Florida insurance lawyer, became part of Trump’s legal team in 2021 and later served as senior chief of staff in the current administration.

Despite her new federal role, Harrigan’s qualifications have been questioned, particularly considering she has only tried three federal cases and no prior experience as a prosecutor.

Comey faces charges related to his 2020 congressional testimony, during which he allegedly did not permit leaks connected to Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server while she was Secretary of State. Interestingly, those leaks reportedly favored Clinton.

As a vocal critic of Trump, Comey believes the former president is targeting him for perjury due to his continued dissent, even in the wake of the FBI’s investigation into Trump’s alleged connections with a Russian official during the 2016 campaign, which ultimately concluded that there was no collusion between Trump and the Russian government.

In their latest court submissions, Comey’s lawyers noted that evidence shows Trump’s call for prosecution was directly linked to Comey’s public statements.

Comey is set to go to trial on January 5, but he aims to have the charges dismissed by then. The case is being conducted in the Virginia state district that encompasses the FBI headquarters in Quantico.

Harrigan secured the grand jury indictment a mere three days after officially taking office, just as the statute of limitations was nearing its end for Comey’s September 30, 2020, testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Harrigan’s predecessor, Eric Siebert, resigned shortly before her appointment, asserting that Trump had declined to pursue a case against New York Attorney General Letitia James, perceived as another political adversary. James has also called for dismissing the bank fraud charges against her, arguing that her appointment was illegal.

James is accused of providing false information on mortgage documents when applying for a $109,600 loan to purchase a home in Virginia in August 2020, stating she would be the only tenant, while her grandmother was actually living there and paying rent. She maintains her innocence and is looking to have her case dismissed before her trial, scheduled for January 26, 2026.