We've just seen the indictment laying out the charges against Comey.

The first count accuses the former FBI director of making "false statements within the jurisdiction of the legislative branch of the United States Government" when he testified during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on 30 September 2020.

The alleged false statement relates to telling a senator on the committee that he had not “authorized someone else at the FBI to be an anonymous source in news reports" regarding an FBI investigation, presumably the one into whether Russia meddled with the 2016 election.

The second count, obstruction of a congressional proceeding, alleges that Comey "did corruptly endeavor to influence, obstruct and impede the due and proper exercise of the power of inquiry under which an investigation was being had before the Senate Judiciary Committee by making false and misleading statements" before that committee.

Image source, Getty Images

Lindsey Halligan, one of president Trump's former defence lawyers, just took over a key federal prosecutor's office in Virginia earlier this week.

She takes the helm as interim US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia days after Erik Siebert, the former top federal prosecutor for the region, resigned over fears he would be forced out for failing to prosecute New York Attorney General Letitia James for alleged mortgage fraud.

Almost immediately after taking office, Halligan brought the Comey case to a grand jury, which agreed there was enough evidence to prosecute.

Earlier this week Trump threw his support behind Halligan saying he has confidence she can "get things moving".

Before this, Halligan was part of an effort by the White House to remove "improper ideology" from the Smithsonian Institution and its museums, education and research centres, and the National Zoo.

Trump in his second term has often turned to his personal attorneys for key government roles, most notably putting his former defence lawyer, Alina Habba, in the same posting as Halligan's for New Jersey.

David Willis
Reporting from Los Angeles

James Comey has become the first former FBI Director to be indicted for an alleged crime.

The charges against him relate to testimony he gave to the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2020.

Addressing Republican criticism of the FBI investigation into Russian election interference, Comey denied allegations that he had authorised the disclosure of sensitive information to the media.

Donald Trump has been a fierce critic of Comey, and at the weekend called once again for the former FBI’s leader’s prosecution.

Following his dismissal Comey branded Trump "morally unfit" for public office.

In a social media post the US Attorney General Pam Bondi said nobody was above the law, and added that the indictment reflected the US Justice Department’s commitment to hold those who abuse positions of power accountable.

Image source, EPA

The US president has reacted to news of Comey's indictment on his Truth Social platform, calling the former FBI director "one of the worst human beings".

"JUSTICE IN AMERICA! One of the worst human beings this Country has ever been exposed to is James Comey, the former Corrupt Head of the FBI," Trump wrote.

"Today he was indicted by a Grand Jury on two felony counts for various illegal and unlawful acts. He has been so bad for our Country, for so long, and is now at the beginning of being held responsible for his crimes against our Nation. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"

We're starting to see some reaction from Democrats about Comey's indictment.

Virginia Senator Mark Warner, the vice-chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, accused President Trump of intending to "turn our justice system into a weapon for punishing and silencing his critics".

He pointed to Trump's firing last week of US Attorney Erik Siebert for refusing "to deliver the outcome Trump demanded" and recommending against bringing charges against Comey and then condemned Trump for installing one of his personal lawyers in the post.

“This kind of interference is a dangerous abuse of power," Warner said.

Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, who was Hillary Clinton's running mate in her 2016 election campaign against Trump, described Comey's indictment as a "malicious prosecution".

"I’ve had my differences with James Comey in the past, but I can spot trumped-up charges a mile away. Trump said he’d go after him, then fired a superb, ethical prosecutor when he refused to bring frivolous charges against those whom Trump perceived to be his enemies," Kaine said.

"Now he has installed yet another one of his personal lawyers as the interim U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia—this one a Florida insurance lawyer with no prosecutorial experience and no connection to Virginia—to do his bidding. The rule of law must prevail.”

Image source, Reuters

Moments after Attorney General Pam Bondi reacted to the indictment, FBI Director Kash Patel posted a similar statement, promising to hold "corrupt leadership" to account.

"Today, your FBI took another step in its promise of full accountability. For far too long, previous corrupt leadership and their enablers weaponized federal law enforcement, damaging once proud institutions and severely eroding public trust," he wrote on X.

He referred to Comey's 2016 investigation into whether Trump's first presidential campaign colluded with Russia as "a disgraceful chapter in history".

"Everyone, especially those in positions of power, will be held to account - no matter their perch. No one is above the law," he added.

Before he became director, Patel was a conservative podcaster and activist who published the book Government Gangsters in 2023, with a list of 60 people in the "deep state" that has since been referred to as his "enemies list". Comey is on that list.

US Attorney Lindsey Halligan has just made the announcement official.

In a statement, she said that a federal grand jury returned an indictment that charges Comey with making a false statement and obstructing a congressional investigation, both relating to testimony he gave to a Senate committee hearing on 30 September 2020.

“The charges as alleged in this case represent a breach of the public trust at an extraordinary level,” Halligan said.

If convicted, Comey faces up to five years in prison.

Robin Levinson-King
BBC News, Toronto

President Donald Trump has recently ramped up pressure on the country's top law enforcement official, Attorney General Pam Bondi, to more aggressively investigate his political adversaries.

In a long social media post last weekend, addressed directly to Bondi, he said: "We can't delay any longer, it's killing our reputation and credibility."

Trump expressed frustration that "nothing is being done", before calling on Bondi to investigate former FBI director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James and Democratic Senator Adam Schiff, who led the prosecution in Trump's first impeachment trial.

"I have reviewed over 30 statements and posts saying that, essentially,' same old story as last time, all talk, no action.' Nothing is being done. What about Comey, Adam 'Shifty' Schiff, Leticia??? They're all guilty as hell, but nothing is going to be done," Trump posted on Saturday.

Read more: Trump pushes justice department to prosecute his political opponents

Image source, Reuters

Attorney General Pam Bondi says "no on is above the law" after it was announced that former FBI chief James Comey was indicted on making false statements and obstruction of justice.

"No one is above the law," she wrote in an X post. "Today’s indictment reflects this Department of Justice’s commitment to holding those who abuse positions of power accountable for misleading the American people. We will follow the facts in this case."

President Donald Trump earlier this week pressed her in a long social media post to more aggressively prosecute Comey and others he considers his political enemies. We have not heard from Trump yet about the indictment.

Image source, Getty Images

Comey was the FBI Director for nearly four years, from 2013 to 2017.

He was fired about four months into Donald Trump’s first term as US president.

Comey played a dramatic and controversial role in the closing stages of the 2016 election when he announced, a week before the vote, that the FBI had reopened an investigation into Hillary Clinton's private email server.

He was criticised first by Democrats for the timing, then by Republicans when he said a week later that no charges would be brought.

As FBI director, he led an investigation into alleged ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.

The Trump administration first claimed Comey's handling of the Clinton email investigation rendered him no longer able to lead the bureau.

Trump contradicted this, calling him a "showboat" in a TV interview and saying he was thinking of the "Russia thing" when he made the decision to sack him.

Since leaving, Comey has been highly critical of the Trump administration.

Former FBI Director James Comey has been indicted by the Justice Department.

Comey, who has long drawn President Donald Trump's ire, is being accused of lying to Congress under oath during his September 2020 testimony over whether he leaked or authorised the leak of classified information to the media.

The probe into his comments is being led by Lindsey Halligan, the US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, who was previously Trump's personal lawyer.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement that the indictment "reflects this Department of Justice's commitment to holding those who abuse positions of power accountable for misleading the American people".

Former FBI director James Comey has been indicted on charges of making false statements and obstruction, BBC's US partner CBS news reports.

This is breaking news, more to come.