Former FBI Director James Comey pleaded not guilty to charges brought by President Trump's Justice Department in a Virginia federal court Wednesday, multiple outlets reported.
The big picture: Trump exerted public pressure on his attorney general to bring charges against Comey in a breach of precedent that could mark the start of his push for legal retribution against his political foes.
- Comey has maintained his innocence.
- A jury trial was set for January 5, per multiple reports.
Driving the news: Comey was arraigned Wednesday morning in Alexandria, Virginia.
- Comey's lawyer said he intended to file motions to kill the case before trial by accusing the government of selective prosecution and challenging the appointment of Lindsey Halligan as U.S. attorney, per multiple reports.
- He faces charges of making false statements to Congress in 2020 and obstructing its investigation into the Russia collusion probe.
- Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff, a Biden appointee, will oversee the case.
Catch up quick: Comey was indicted late last month, shortly after Trump said he ousted — then replaced — the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia with one of his former personal lawyers, Lindsey Halligan.
- Just days after Trump installed Halligan, Comey was indicted on charges stemming from Senate testimony he gave in September 2020.
- He is accused of having lied to Congress when he denied that he had authorized anyone at the FBI to share information anonymously with the media.
Flashback: Trump fired Comey early in his first term, initially citing his handling of Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server, but later admitted he did so because of the Russian collusion probe.
What he's saying: Comey said in a video posted Instagram after the indictment: "I'm innocent, so let's have a trial."
- He added that his "heart is broken for the Department of Justice" and went on to express "great confidence" in the federal judicial system.
- "My family and I have known for years that there are costs to standing up to Donald Trump," he said. "But we couldn't imagine ourselves living any other way. We will not live on our knees, and you shouldn't either."
The other side: Trump celebrated Comey's indictment, calling him one of the "worst human beings this Country has ever been exposed to."
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