In the case of the indictment of Trump opponent James Comey, the US government itself is coming into focus because of suspicions of possible misconduct. A court in Virginia ordered that the defense of the former FBI chief be given access to documents from the so-called grand jury – in the US, a group of citizens in court that determines whether, in their opinion, there is enough evidence from the investigation to bring charges.
According to the court, if suspicions of misconduct are confirmed, one or more charges could be dropped. The Comey indictment is also receiving a lot of attention because critics see it as a possible example of how targeted pressure is being exerted on opponents of US President Donald Trump and unpopular people.
According to the court, the inspection of the files is a highly unusual step. “However, the record points to a disturbing pattern of serious investigative errors,” Judge William Fitzpatrick argued. To justify the move, he also explicitly pointed out that government misconduct could have impaired the work of the grand jury. For example, there are said to have been errors surrounding searches by investigators.
Charges against Comey came after Trump’s pressure on the judiciary
The indictment against Comey, among other things, for making false statements, came at the end of September after massive pressure from Trump on the judiciary. The Justice Department said at the time that the 64-year-old was also accused of obstructing a congressional investigation.
The charges came just days after Trump urged his Attorney General Pam Bondi on social media to take action against people he considers enemies. The president complained that there was a lot of talk but nothing done – and specifically named Comey.
Comey was appointed director of the FBI in 2013 by then US President Barack Obama. During Trump’s first term in office, he led the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US election and possible ties between Moscow and members of Trump’s campaign team. In 2017, Comey was fired by Trump in connection with the then-ongoing investigation.
According to US media, the former FBI chief pleaded not guilty in an initial hearing.
