Ex-FBI director James Comey pleads not guilty to lying to Congress

James Comey has pleaded not guilty in a criminal case that has highlighted the Justice Department’s efforts to target adversaries of Donald Trump, with lawyers for the former FBI director saying they plan to argue the prosecution is politically motivated and should be dismissed.

The arraignment lasted less than half an hour but it was nonetheless loaded with historical significance given that the case has amplified concerns the Justice Department is being weaponised in pursuit of the Republican president’s political enemies.

Comey’s not guilty plea to allegations that he lied to Congress five years ago kick-starts a process of legal wrangling that could culminate in a trial in a few months at the federal courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia, just outside Washington.

Defence lawyers said they intend to ask that the case be thrown out before trial on grounds that it constitutes a vindictive prosecution and plan to challenge the legitimacy of the appointment of the prosecutor who filed the charges just days after Mr Trump hastily appointed her to her position.

“It’s the honour of my life to represent Mr Comey in this matter,” one of Mr Comey’s lawyers, Patrick Fitzgerald, a long-time friend who served with him in President George W Bush’s Justice Department, said in court on Wednesday.

The indictment two weeks ago followed an extraordinary chain of events that saw Mr Trump publicly implore Attorney General Pam Bondi to take action against Comey and other perceived adversaries.

The Republican president also replaced the veteran attorney who had been overseeing the investigation with Lindsey Halligan, a White House aide who had never previously served as a federal prosecutor.

Ms Halligan rushed to file charges before a legal deadline lapsed despite warnings from other lawyers in the office that the evidence was insufficient for an indictment.

The two-count indictment alleges that Comey made a false statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee on September 30 2020 by denying he had authorised an associate to serve as an anonymous source to the news media and that he obstructed a congressional proceeding.

Comey has denied any wrongdoing and has said he was looking forward to a trial.

The indictment does not identify the associate or say what information may have been discussed with the media, making it challenging to assess the strength of the evidence.

Though an indictment is typically just the start of a protracted court process, the Justice Department has trumpeted the development itself as something of a win, regardless of the outcome.

Trump administration officials are likely to point to any conviction as proof the case was well-justified, but an acquittal or even dismissal may also be held up as further support for their long-running contention the criminal justice system is stacked against them.

The judge randomly assigned to the case, Michael Nachmanoff, was nominated to the bench by President Joe Biden’s Democratic administration and is a former chief federal defender.

Known for methodical preparation and a cool temperament, the judge and his background have already drawn Mr Trump’s attention, with the president deriding him as a “Crooked Joe Biden appointed Judge”.

Besides Comey, the Justice Department is also investigating other foes of the president, including New York Attorney General Letitia James and Democratic Senator Adam Schiff of California.

Several Comey family members arrived in court on Wednesday morning ahead of the arraignment, including his daughter Maurene, who was fired by the Justice Department earlier this year from her position as a federal prosecutor in Manhattan, as well as Troy Edwards Jr, a son-in-law of Comey’s who minutes after Comey was indicted resigned from his job as a prosecutor in the Eastern District of Virginia — the same office that filed the charges.