Former FBI Director James Comey has been charged with making a false statement and obstruction in a criminal case filed days after President Donald Trump appeared to urge his attorney general to prosecute him and other perceived political enemies.
The indictment makes Comey the first former senior government official involved in one of Trump鈥檚 chief grievances, the in the 2016 election, to face prosecution. Trump has for years derided that investigation as a 鈥渉oax鈥 and a 鈥渨itch hunt鈥 despite multiple government reviews showing Moscow interfered on behalf of the Republican鈥檚 campaign, and has made clear his desire for retribution.
The criminal case is likely to deepen concerns that the Justice Department under the leadership of Attorney General , a Trump loyalist, is being weaponized as it pursues investigations of public figures the president regards as his adversaries.
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Trump arrives for Ryder Cup
The president took up position between the 1st tee and the 18th hole, near the bottom of the grandstand.
Four fighter jets flew over as a firefighter sang the National Anthem.
鈥淒onald Trump!鈥 some people chanted.
Irish leader commends journalists covering Gaza
Irish Prime Minister Miche谩l Martin at the U.N. on Friday praised the work of journalists covering the ongoing situation in Gaza, saying that the dire circumstances 鈥渃annot be justified or defended.鈥
鈥淲e honor the journalists that have worked tirelessly and without regard to their own safety to ensure that nobody can ever say, 鈥榃e did not know,鈥欌 Martin said.
Martin also said that his country 鈥渟tands in full solidarity鈥 with the people of Gaza, going on to also acknowledge the efforts of medics and U.N. workers in the area.
In his own U.N. speech earlier Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu talked about 鈥渂iased media鈥 and Hamas鈥 鈥減ropaganda war that the Western media buys, hook, line and sinker.鈥
White House says allegations in lawsuit against ICE actions are untrue
The White House has denied the allegations in a lawsuit that accuses Immigration and Customs Enforcement of illegally arresting immigrants in Washington, D.C.
鈥淣ot only are these allegations false, but they鈥檙e dangerous smears against ICE officers that are directly contributing to the dramatic increase in left-wing violence,鈥 said Abigail Jackson, a White House spokeswoman.
鈥淓nforcement operations require careful planning and execution; skills far beyond the purview of a casual observer.鈥
She said those arrested in D.C. include MS-13 gang members and others who have been convicted of serious crimes, including murder.
鈥淭he Trump Administration will continue fulfilling our promise to the American people to deport as many criminal illegal aliens as possible.鈥
Trump predicts others will face criminal charges
The president has dismissed suggestions that Comey was being charged as part of a broader retribution campaign - but Trump said there will be more.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not a list, but I think there鈥檒l be others,鈥 the president told reporters on Friday as he departed the White House.
Trump accused his political opponents of weaponizing the Justice Department.
Saying 鈥淚 hope鈥 others will be charged, Trump also brushed aside concerns that a future Democratic administration could use its powers to go after Trump and his allies.
鈥淲ell, that鈥檚 what they tried to do, right? They did it with me for four years, they went after me,鈥 Trump said. He later added: 鈥淚t鈥檚 about justice, it鈥檚 not revenge.鈥
Trump suggests a deal is close on Gaza, despite one not materializing previously
The president says he believes the U.S. is close to achieving a deal on easing fighting in Gaza that 鈥渨ill get the hostages back鈥 and 鈥渆nd the war.鈥
鈥淚 think we have maybe a deal on Gaza, very close to a deal on Gaza,鈥 Trump told reporters on the White House lawn as he was leaving to attend the Ryder Cup.
Trump has repeatedly suggested that an agreement to calm Israel鈥檚 war with Hamas is imminent 鈥 only to have nothing to show for it.
Weeks ago, he said, 鈥淚 think we鈥檙e going to have a deal on Gaza very soon.鈥 And Trump has made similar pronouncements before and after that.
House Committee on China demands more information on TikTok deal
The chair of a Select House Committee on China has asked for an urgent briefing with the White House on the TikTok framework deal as supported by Trump on Thursday.
鈥淎s Chairman of the China Select Committee, I will be conducting full oversight over this agreement, starting with an urgent briefing I have requested from the Administration,鈥 said Rep. John Moolenaar, R.-Michigan, said Friday.
While the transition of the ownership of the popular social media platform to a majority American-owned entity could mitigate some security concerns linked to TikTok, Moolenaar said: 鈥淭he law also set firm guardrails that prohibit cooperation between ByteDance and any prospective TikTok successor on the all-important recommendation algorithm, as well as preclude operational ties between the new entity and ByteDance.鈥
ByteDance is the parent company of TikTok and is based in Beijing. Congress passed a law last year that demands TikTok to be spun off from the Chinese ownership on security grounds. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the law in January.
House Democratic Leader says Trump鈥檚 DOJ 鈥榦ut of control鈥
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York has sharply criticized the Trump administration over Comey’s indictment.
鈥淭he indictment of James Comey is a disgraceful attack on the rule of law,鈥 Jeffries said late Thursday.
鈥淒onald Trump and his sycophants in the Department of Justice are completely and totally out of control, and have viciously weaponized the criminal justice system against their perceived adversaries.鈥
What the indictment alleges
The sparse two-count indictment 鈥 consisting of charges of making a false statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee and obstructing a congressional proceeding 鈥 appears to have nothing to do with the substance of the Russia investigation.
Instead, it accuses Comey of having lied to the committee when asked whether he had authorized anyone else at the FBI to be an anonymous source of information related to investigations into either Trump or former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Clinton. Though the indictment does not specify the subject Comey is alleged to have lied about, it appears through context to have to do with Clinton.
Comey says he is innocent and says 鈥榣ets have a trial鈥
Comey says in a video that he is innocent as he says 鈥渓et鈥檚 have a trial and keep the faith.鈥
The former FBI director said in a video posted to Substack that he was not afraid and that he knew there would be 鈥渃osts to standing up to Donald Trump.鈥
鈥淢y heart is broken for the Department of Justice, but I have great confidence in the federal judicial system, and I am innocent,鈥 Comey said.
James Comey鈥檚 son-in-law quits Justice Department after former FBI director鈥檚 indictment
James Comey鈥檚 son-in-law resigned as a federal prosecutor minutes after the former FBI director was indicted Thursday.
Troy Edwards quit his job 鈥渢o uphold my oath to the Constitution and the country,鈥 he wrote in a one-sentence resignation letter addressed to Lindsey Halligan, the newly appointed U.S. Attorney in Virginia鈥檚 Eastern District, the office that charged Comey.
Edwards was the the deputy chief of the National Security Section, a prestigious role in a U.S. attorney鈥檚 office that covers the Pentagon and CIA headquarters, handling some of the highest-profile espionage cases.
Democratic senator blasts Comey indictment as 鈥榓buse of power鈥
鈥淭rump has made clear that he intends to turn our justice system into a weapon for punishing and silencing his critics,鈥 said Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committe.
Warner said after the forced ouster of the U.S. attorney in his state, the Trump administration installed a loyalist to bring the charges that others had rejected.
鈥淭his kind of interference is a dangerous abuse of power,鈥 Warner said. 鈥淥ur system depends on prosecutors making decisions based on evidence and the law, not on the personal grudges of a politician determined to settle scores.鈥
