The former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, James Comey, has been indicted by a federal grand jury, marking an unusual escalation in President Donald Trump's efforts to prosecute his political opponents.

The photo, posted on X on September 24, 2025, shows President Donald Trump dining outside the White House with Attorney General Pam Bondi and others

Comey is a long-time opponent of the president and is one of Trump's biggest frustrations — the first senior government official to face federal charges in the investigation into whether he colluded with Russia during his first presidential campaign in 2016.

The Department of Justice stated in a statement that he was charged with providing false statements and obstructing congressional proceedings.

Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote on X, "No one is above the law."

Bondi wrote, "The indictment today reflects the Department of Justice's commitment to hold accountable those who misuse their power to mislead the American people. We will focus on the facts of this case."

On Thursday night, CNN had previously reported on Bondi and prosecutors' concerns about the case.

Bondi is under pressure from Trump, who has demanded that his political opponents face criminal charges as they did before. However, according to a report by ABC News, lawyers in the Eastern District of Virginia recently wrote a memo detailing their reservations about seeking an indictment.

According to a source, Bondi is concerned about the case, which focuses on whether Comey made false statements in his congressional testimony regarding the 2016 investigation into Russian interference in the US presidential election, although she believes there may be grounds for prosecution.

Trump said at the White House on Thursday, "They will make the decision. I won't make that decision. I think if I wanted to, I would be allowed to get involved, but I haven't really chosen to do so."

However, Comey is a "bad person," the president added.

On Tuesday evening, the attorney general dined with Trump and others in the White House Rose Garden.

Trump's former personal lawyer, Lindsay Graham, the new U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, appeared twice at the Department of Justice this week, according to sources, and was involved in discussions about whether to indict Comey. Sources familiar with the discussions said Graham also had questions about the case.

"I just want people to take action"

According to a source, Trump has publicly and privately complained that prosecutors are willing to bring a large number of criminal charges against him during his term, pointing out that he was accused of crimes that they would have charged him for at that time. The source added that Trump repeatedly stated that the Department of Justice should bring the best cases against his political opponents, and let the courts decide the rest.

"I just want people to take action. We hope for swift action," Trump told reporters as he left the White House on Saturday. "If they are innocent, it's fine. If they are guilty, or if they should be charged, they should be charged, and we must do it now."

Some inside the White House believe that Graham was willing to pursue the indictment to please Trump, even though that's why she was chosen to lead the Eastern District of Virginia. While several Department of Justice officials are concerned about the strength of any case against Comey, several political aides have different views: they prosecuted Trump, so people like Comey should also be prosecuted.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7554183245403898431/

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