Former FBI director Comey pleads not guilty to federal charges of lying to Congress
Former FBI Director James Comey has pleaded not guilty to charges of false statements and obstructing a congressional proceeding.
Comey entered his plea via his lawyer Pat Fitzgerald during his arraignment in federal court on Wednesday in Alexandria, Va. The judge on the case set a trial date of Jan. 5, 2026, and Comey is set to be released with no conditions.
“It’s the honor of my life to represent Jim Comey in this matter,” Fitzgerald said at the courthouse, where Comey’s family also attended the arraignment.
The former FBI director, who has long been one of President Trump’s most vocal critics, was indicted last month on two counts stemming from his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee in September 2020. The Justice Department secured the indictment just days after Trump demanded a faster pace from prosecutors in their investigation against Comey.
The top federal prosecutor in Northern Virginia, Erik Siebert, had cast doubt on the strength of the evidence against Comey.
The Trump administration then replaced Siebert with Lindsey Halligan, a White House aide who previously served as a personal attorney for Trump. Halligan, who secured the grand jury indictment against Comey, is bringing in prosecutors from North Carolina to assist on the case.
Comey’s lawyers said they plan to file two batches of motions to dismiss the case, centering on accusations of a vindictive or selective prosecution, and that Halligan was unlawfully appointed.
They may also include allegations of “outrageous conduct” and problems with the grand jury process that indicted Comey last month.
Trump has long railed against Comey, blaming the former FBI leader for the appointment of a special prosecutor who probed contacts between Russia and Trump’s 2016 campaign through most of the president’s first term in office.
Mentally ill people are stuck in jail because they can’t get treatment. Here’s what’s to know
Hundreds of people across Alabama await a spot in the state’s increasingly limited facilities, despite a consent decree requiring the state to address delays in providing care for people who are charged with crimes but deemed too mentally ill to stand trial. But seven years since the federal agreement, the problem has only worsened.
Ivey appoints Will Parker to Alabama Supreme Court
Parker fills the court seat vacated by Bill Lewis who was tapped by President Donald Trump for a federal judgeship. The U.S. Senate last month confirmed Lewis as a U.S. district judge.
How Alabama Power kept bills up and opposition out to become one of the most powerful utilities in the country
In one of the poorest states in America, the local utility earns massive profits producing dirty energy with almost no pushback from state regulators.
No more Elmo? APT could cut ties with PBS
The board that oversees Alabama Public Television is considering disaffiliating from PBS, ending a 55-year relationship.
Nonprofit erases millions in medical debt across Gulf South, says it’s ‘Band-Aid’ for real issue
Undue Medical Debt has paid off more than $299 million in medical debts in Alabama. Now, the nonprofit warns that the issue could soon get worse.
Roy Wood Jr. on his father, his son and his new book
Actor, comedian and writer Roy Wood Jr. is out with a new book -- "The Man of Many Fathers: Life Lessons Disguised as a Memoir." He writes about his experience growing up in Birmingham, losing his dad as a teenager and all the lessons he learned from various father figures throughout his career.
