Former FBI director Comey again indicted by US Justice Department

Former FBI Director James Comey has again been indicted by the United States Department of Justice, this time over a social media post that officials have said constituted a threat to President Donald Trump.

The indictment on Tuesday comes after an earlier Justice Department criminal case against Comey fell apart last year.

Trump has long called for prosecuting his political opponents, with a particular emphasis on Comey, who oversaw the early days of an investigation into whether Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign had coordinated with Russia.

The latest prosecution relates to a social media post by Comey showing a photo of seashells arranged on a beach in the shape of “86 47”. The photo was posted nearly a year ago.

The term “86” is typically used in the restaurant industry to refer to throwing something out, although it is sometimes used as a slang term to “kill”. Trump is currently serving a term as the 47th president of the US.

Comey has previously been interviewed by the Secret Service and wrote on social media that he did not know that “some folks associate those numbers with violence”.

“I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down,” he said.

The two-count indictment charges Comey with “knowingly and willfully” making a threat to “take the life of, and to inflict bodily harm upon” Trump and transmitting a threat in interstate commerce.

It does not provide any evidence to support the claim that Comey knowingly made a threat against the president, instead maintaining that a “reasonable recipient who is familiar with the circumstances would interpret” the message as a threat to do harm.

Last year, the Justice Department charged Comey with lying to Congress during the investigation into Russia’s alleged election interference in the 2016 election.

But a judge dismissed that indictment in November, ruling that the prosecutor overseeing the case had been illegally appointed.

The same court also dropped bank fraud charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Before the charges against Comey and James were announced last year, Trump posted a message to then-Attorney General Pam Bondi, pressuring her to indict the two, as well as several others of his political opponents.

The Justice Department is also pursuing a criminal investigation into former CIA Director John Brennan, another key figure in the Russia investigation.

Brennan has denied doing anything wrong.