The justice department filed new criminal charges against James Comey, the former FBI director, on Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Comey was charged over a picture he posted on Instagram last year in which sea shells were arranged to say “86 47”, CNN and the Associated Press reported. The post was taken as a threat to Donald Trump. The number 86 can be used as shorthand for getting rid of something, and Trump is the 47th president.
The justice department did not immediately return a request for comment. CNN first reported a new indictment had been filed.
The justice department previously indicted Comey last year and charged him with lying to Congress. That case was dismissed when a judge in the eastern district of Virginia ruled that the prosecutor overseeing the case had been wrongfully appointed.
Comey has long been the subject of Trump’s wrath over his investigation into Trump’s ties to Russia, and Trump allies had called for the former FBI director to be punished. Even though the post was widely seen as a non-violent anti-Trump expression, federal law enforcement officials investigated the matter and interviewed Comey.
More details soon…