James Comey charged with making false statement, obstruction: Expert Analysis

James Comey has been charged with making a false statement and obstruction. The case against Comey accuses him of lying during a Senate committee in 2020.

The criminal case against Comey does not concern the substance of the Russia investigation. Rather, it accuses him of having lied to a Senate committee in his 2020 appearance when he said he never authorized anyone to serve as an anonymous source to a reporter about the investigation.

The two-count indictment includes charges of making a false statement to Congress during testimony five years ago as well as obstruction of a criminal proceeding.

The office that filed the case, the Eastern District of Virginia, was thrown into turmoil last week following the resignation of chief prosecutor Erik Siebert under pressure to bring charges against another Trump target, New York Attorney General Letitia James, in a mortgage fraud investigation.