James Comey, the previous director of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, has pleaded not responsible to creating false statements to lawmakers and obstructing a congressional continuing.
Mr Comey’s lawyer entered the plea on his behalf in a federal court docket in Alexandria, Virginia, on Wednesday morning.
Patrick Fitzgerald mentioned he would search to have the case dismissed for a number of causes together with that his consumer, a critic of President Donald Trump, was being focused.
Mr Comey was indicted a number of days after Trump urged his lawyer common to take motion towards him.
A decide set a trial date of 5 January after Mr Comey’s legal professionals requested a speedy trial.
Each the prosecution and defence anticipated the trial to final simply two to 3 days.
In court docket on Wednesday, Comey’s lawyer Patrick Fitzgerald advised the decide they deliberate to file a number of motions to dismiss the case earlier than a trial, arguing the prosecution was vindictive and {that a} US lawyer was unlawfully appointed to take over the case.
Mr Comey’s case was initially overseen by Erik Siebert, a Virginia prosecutor who resigned underneath stress from Trump after his investigation into one other political adversary – New York Lawyer Common Letitia James – did not carry prison costs. Trump then appointed Lindsey Halligan to switch him.
Mr Comey appeared in good spirits as he entered the courtroom on Wednesday, chatting together with his attorneys and making jokes. He was joined by his spouse, Patrice Failor and daughter Maureen Comey, a federal prosecutor who the Trump administration not too long ago fired.
After listening to the decide learn his rights and the 2 counts towards him in court docket on Wednesday, Mr Comey was requested if he understood the fees.
“I do your honour. Thanks very a lot,” he advised the court docket.
US District Decide Michael Nachmanoff mentioned the 2 costs every carry a penalty of as much as 5 years in jail and a nice of as much as a $200,000 (£149,442).
Representing the federal government, Ms Halligan took over the position of prime federal prosecutor in Virginia’s japanese district in September.
In lower than every week on the job, she secured a grand jury indictment towards Mr Comey after prosecutors earlier than her had declined to tackle the case as a consequence of an absence of proof.
The hasty turnaround was mirrored in Wednesday’s court docket proceedings, when defence legal professionals complained they didn’t have entry to categorized paperwork that prosecutors supposed to submit as proof.
“We really feel the cart has been put earlier than the horse,” Mr Fitzgerald mentioned.
Decide Nachmanoff warned the federal government: “I can’t sluggish this case down as a result of the federal government doesn’t promptly flip over info.”
Mr Comey was the FBI Director from 2013 to 2017 and was fired about 4 months into Trump’s first time period as president. On the time, Mr Comey was main an investigation into Russian election interference and whether or not there have been any hyperlinks between Moscow and Trump’s marketing campaign.
Throughout his tenure, Mr Comey sparked a backlash from Democrats when he introduced simply days earlier than the 2016 presidential election that he was investigating Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton’s use of a personal electronic mail server. Prices towards Clinton have been by no means introduced, resulting in criticism from Republicans as properly.
Since leaving authorities, Mr Comey has been an ardent critic of the Trump administration.
The federal authorities alleges Mr Comey lied to Congress throughout a Senate Judiciary Committee listening to in September 2020 when he was being questioned about each the Clinton investigation in addition to the Russia election probe. They are saying he misled the Senate by saying he had not authorised somebody on the FBI to leak to information retailers details about the FBI investigations.
Prosecutors additionally accuse Mr Comey of “corruptly endeavor[ing] to affect, hinder and impede” the panel by making false statements to it.
In a video Mr Comey posted to his Instagram after he was indicted, he mentioned he was harmless and accused Trump of appearing like a “tyrant”.
“My household and I’ve know for years that there are prices to standing as much as Donald Trump,” he mentioned. “We won’t dwell on our knees.”
“I am harmless,” he added. “So let’s have a trial.”
The costs towards Mr Comey got here after Trump posted on social media demanding his lawyer common, Pam Bondi, prosecute Mr Comey and others.
