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Former FBI Director Comey charged in third federal case under Trump

NBC News reports federal prosecutors charged Comey with transmitting national defense information in a case sealed since Oct. 5; Comey says he is innocent.

Updated Oct 27, 2026 · 00:24 UTC11 reports

The short version

  • NBC News reports federal prosecutors have charged former FBI Director James Comey with transmitting national defense information and conspiracy to transmit it.[NBC News]
  • The case has been under seal since Oct. 5 and is the third federal case against Comey since Trump's second term began.[NBC News]
  • In an unsealed filing, a prosecutor alleges Comey directed staff to speak to a reporter in 2016 to correct press misinformation, illegally transferring classified information.[NBC News]
  • Comey's lawyers have moved to dismiss, arguing the counts rest on a 2016 disclosure and are time-barred; Comey maintains he is innocent.[NBC News]

Key facts

  • Former FBI Director James Comey has been charged with transmitting national defense information and conspiracy to transmit national defense information.[NBC News]
  • This is the third federal criminal case against Comey since Trump's second term began.[NBC News]
  • The case has been under seal since Oct. 5.[NBC News]
  • Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin Farahnak alleged in an unsealed filing that Comey directed staff to speak to a reporter about accuracy concerns in a Reuters article.[NBC News]
  • Comey's lawyers filed a motion to dismiss, arguing the counts rest exclusively on an October 5, 2016 disclosure and that the case is time-barred.[NBC News]
  • The charges were filed as a criminal information rather than a grand jury indictment, and Comey has not been indicted in this case.[NBC News]
  • Comey posted a video on Substack denying the charges and saying he is still innocent.[NBC News]

What remains uncertain

  • The allegations that Comey directed staff to speak to a reporter have not been tested in court; Comey denies wrongdoing.[NBC News]
  • Whether the time-bar and grand jury arguments will succeed is unknown, and the reporting does not describe a ruling on the motion to dismiss.[NBC News]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.