Comey seeks to cancel upcoming court appearance in North Carolina in Trump threat case
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former FBI Director James Comey He asked for it to be canceled on Thursday. upcoming court appearance He said that was unnecessary in North Carolina because in Virginia he turned himself in and appeared before a judge for allegedly making threats. President Donald Trump. The Ministry of Justice also supports this request.
In a two-count indictment last week, Comey was accused of “knowingly and willfully” communicating a threat against Trump by posting a photo of seashells listed as “86 47” on Instagram.
Prosecutors claim the photo poses a threat to the 47th president, Trump. Comey said he assumed that the seashell arrangement he said he found on the beach reflected a political message, not a call for violence, and that he removed the post when he saw that some people interpreted it as a threat.
He is currently scheduled to appear in a federal court in Greenville, North Carolina, on Monday, but his lawyers urged a judge on Thursday to cancel that hearing. They stated that he surrendered and appeared before a judge in Virginia, where he lives, and that the Department of Justice accepted their request.
The lawsuit is the second filed by Trump’s Justice Department against Comey, who is seen as a longtime foe of the Republican president. An earlier, unrelated investigation implicated Comey. The charge of making false statements to Congress was dismissed by the judge, who concluded that the prosecutor who brought the case was unlawfully appointed.
Legal experts have questioned whether the Justice Department can meet the high legal standard of proving that Comey’s Instagram post was intended to be threatening. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said investigators have evidence beyond just the post. He did not elaborate.
Merriam-Webster, the dictionary used by the Associated Press, says: 86 is slang It means “to throw away,” “to get rid of,” or “to refuse service.” He notes: “Among the newest meanings adopted is the meaning ‘to kill’, which is a logical extension of the previous ones. We do not enter it in this sense because of its relative newness and lack of use.”
