Comey Hit with New Indictment Over ‘Threatening’ Instagram Post

Former FBI Director James Comey is back in legal trouble after being indicted again in a new Justice Department probe tied to the beach photo that sent shockwaves through conservative circles last year.

According to reports from Fox News, the new indictment centers on Comey’s now-infamous May 2025 Instagram post showing seashells arranged to read “86 47” — a message many Republicans and Trump allies immediately saw as a disturbing threat aimed at President Donald Trump, the 47th president of the United States. AP and Reuters also reported Tuesday that Comey was indicted again over the controversial post.

The charges are serious. Comey is accused of knowingly and willfully making a threat against the life of the president and of transmitting a communication in interstate or foreign commerce containing a threat to kill President Trump, according to the indictment language cited by Fox News and echoed in other coverage.

The case exploded after Comey uploaded the shell image, with critics arguing there was nothing innocent about the numbers. In common slang, “86” can mean to get rid of someone, while “47” was widely understood as a reference to Trump. Comey later deleted the post and insisted he had taken it as a generic political message, claiming he did not realize some people associate those numbers with violence.

That explanation never sat well with Trump or his supporters.

In a Fox News interview with Bret Baier, Trump made clear he was not buying Comey’s defense, saying the former FBI chief knew exactly what the message meant. For many on the right, the post was not some clueless mistake. It was seen as yet another example of the kind of reckless, smug political behavior they believe has followed Comey ever since his ugly split with Trump during the president’s first term.

The timing only adds more fuel to the fire. The second indictment landed the same day a federal judge allowed a separate lawsuit from Comey’s daughter, former prosecutor Maurene Comey, to move forward against the Justice Department. She has claimed she was unlawfully dismissed because of her father or because of perceived political beliefs. Courthouse News reported Tuesday that her wrongful-termination suit is now allowed to proceed. Reuters previously reported she was fired after Trump returned to office and later joined a New York law firm while continuing to pursue claims tied to her dismissal.

This is not Comey’s first recent brush with prosecution, either. In September 2025, he was charged in a separate case tied to allegations that he lied to Congress about leaks to the press, but that case was later thrown out after a judge found the prosecutor had not been properly appointed. AP and Reuters both noted that the earlier case was dismissed on appointment grounds before this new indictment emerged.

Comey, once one of the most powerful law enforcement figures in America, now finds himself in the extraordinary position of facing a second federal indictment while still trying to explain away a post many conservatives saw as chilling and inexcusable. His legal team has reportedly declined to comment on the latest charges.

For Trump supporters, the message is simple: the man who helped ignite years of chaos around Trump is now being forced to answer for his own actions.