Former FBI Director James Comey entered a not guilty plea today against two serious federal charges tied to his 2020 Capitol Hill testimony. Court proceedings unfolded swiftly at the federal courthouse, where Comey’s legal team, led by veteran attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, formally submitted the plea on his behalf.
Comey faced accusations of making false statements to Congress during that pivotal 2020 hearing, plus obstructing a congressional investigation. Prosecutors claim these actions stemmed directly from inconsistencies in his sworn account under oath. Fitzgerald waived the formal reading of the indictment—a standard procedural move to expedite matters—and immediately requested a full jury trial.
BBC report—Patrick Fitzgerald, representing Comey, said he did not have access to any of the classified information the government intended to use as evidence, which was part of his reason for wanting to extend the trial start date.
“We feel the cart has been put before the horse,” Fitzgerald said, referring to the pre-trial material he didn’t have, like access to classified documents.
Nachmanoff was stern with the prosecution and said, “I will not slow this case down because the government does not promptly turn information over.”
At one point, Comey’s lawyer Patrick Fitzgerald said it was the “honour of a lifetime” to represent the former head of America’s top law enforcement agency.
“Our view is that this prosecution was brought at the direction of President Trump,” Fitzgerald said in court.
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This was an historic moment: Fitzgerald, a former US attorney, representing a former FBI boss against the US government.
