James Comey, the disgraced former FBI director now under federal indictment over a cryptic social media post that allegedly threatened President Donald Trump, has secured yet another delay in his day in court.
According to Just The News, U.S. District Judge Louise Flanagan of the Eastern District of North Carolina on Friday postponed Comeys arraignment in New Bern until January, with trial now slated to begin in February. This marks the third delay since the summer, extending a case that has already raised serious questions about political double standards and the pace of justice in high-profile prosecutions.
In her written order, Flanagan declared, The court finds that the ends of justice served by granting the requested continuance and setting arraignment in January 2027, outweigh the best interests of the public and defendant in a speedy trial. The gravity of the charges, pending motions, and the need to provide defense counsel additional time to prepare for trial promote need for continuance. She further noted, While ready to adhere to the current schedule, implicit in the governments reported statement of no opposition here is its agreement that the ends of justice served by this continuance, for direct benefit of defendant, outweigh the interests of the public in a speedy trial.
Comey faces two federal counts of making threats against the president, charges that stem from a photograph he posted of seashells arranged to spell out 86 47 on a North Carolina beach. The numbers, widely understood in online slang to mean get rid of the 47th president, were posted to his Instagram account, which prosecutors say had roughly 200,000 followers and potential secondary reach in the millions.
Comey has claimed he stumbled upon the shell arrangement while walking along the shore and quickly removed the post after realizing how it might be interpreted. He insisted he didnt know the numbers could be taken as a promotion of violence, a defense that sits uneasily beside evidence federal prosecutors say they have gathered.
Prosecutors contend that just two minutes before the post went live, Comeys wife texted him a screenshot explaining that 86 means to get rid of or refuse service. In a filing, they argued, There is no serious dispute that an objective viewer of Comeys post could read it to mean Kill President Trump.
The shell display was located about four miles from the beachfront property where Comey was staying, suggesting at minimum a degree of deliberation in capturing and sharing the image. Text messages between Comey and his agent after the uproar reportedly show him insisting he did not intend a viral moment, yet adding, Ill be OK if it sells books.
Judge Flanagan had previously set arraignment for this Wednesday with trial to begin Oct. 21, after an earlier schedule that called for a June 30 arraignment and July 15 trial start. With the case now pushed into next year and beyond, conservatives watching a justice system that has moved aggressively against President Trump and his allies will be watching closely to see whether Comey, long a symbol of Washingtons entrenched bureaucracy, is finally held to the same standard.
Login