Comey Indicted Again Over Seashell Photo in Trump DOJ

Former FBI Director James Comey, a vocal critic of President Trump, was indicted by Trump’s Department of Justice for a second time on April 28, 2026. The charges stem from a 2025 social media post in which Comey arranged seashells to display “86 47,” a pattern that Republican supporters interpreted as a threat against Trump. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the indictment in the Eastern District of North Carolina, claiming the seashell arrangement violated federal law against threatening the president and transmitting threats in interstate commerce.

Blanche asserted at a press conference that Comey’s post constituted a serious expression of intent to harm Trump, stating “a reasonable recipient who is familiar with the circumstances would interpret” the pattern as such. He defended the prosecution as consistent with First Amendment protections. The term “86” is slang meaning to “get rid of,” and Trump’s supporters claimed the full display referenced both assassination and Trump’s current presidential term. This indictment follows Trump’s DOJ subpoena of Comey as part of a broader retribution campaign against perceived political enemies.

Comey denied the charges in a video posted to his Substack account, stating “Nothing has changed with me. I’m still innocent, I’m still not afraid, and I still believe in the independent federal judiciary.” His attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said Comey would contest the charges in court and defend his First Amendment rights. Comey previously told MSNBC the seashell arrangement was a “clever way to express a political viewpoint” without violent intent, and he confirmed removing the image from Instagram while explicitly opposing violence of any kind.

The indictment represents Trump’s second attempt to prosecute Comey. A prior case filed last year for alleged perjury before Congress collapsed after a judge invalidated the appointment of Trump’s hand-picked prosecutor Lindsey Halligan. Trump’s DOJ previously fired prosecutor Robert McBride for refusing to lead Comey’s prosecution, signaling the administration’s determination to weaponize federal courts against its critics.

Blanche confirmed authorities issued an arrest warrant for Comey and stated he was unsure if Comey was in custody, inviting him to surrender to law enforcement voluntarily. The prosecution exemplifies Trump’s broader Interagency Weaponization Working Group targeting perceived adversaries across federal agencies. No court appearance date had been set as of the afternoon press conference.

(Source: https://www.axios.com/2026/04/28/trump-doj-indicts-james-comey)