A grand jury has officially issued an arrest warrant for former FBI Director James Comey following an indictment by the Department of Justice (DOJ). The indictment has been filed in the Eastern District of North Carolina and cites a social media post made by Comey in May, 2025.
In an Instagram post, Comey shared an image of seashells arranged to spell “86 47.” Prosecutors allege the image was intended as a reference to President Trump as the 47th President of the United States, and amounted to a threat against him.
According to the indictment, the DOJ alleges Comey “knowingly and willfully make a threat to take the life of, and to inflict bodily harm upon, the President of the United States, in that he publicly posted a photograph on the internet social media site Instagram which depicted seashells arranged in a pattern making out ‘86 47.”
Although Comey captioned the photo with the phrase “cool shell formation,” the indictment alleges a reasonable person could interpret the photograph as a threat of harm against President Trump. The DOJ filed a second count accusing Comey of issuing a threatening communication in interstate commerce.
The indictment is the second to be brought against Comey, following an indictment in September of last year on charges of making false statements and obstruction of justice. The prior case was based on comments by Comey during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, in which he denied authorizing FBI officials to serve as sources for media reports on the FBI’s investigation into ties between Russia and President Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.
Comey’s statements directly contradicted those of former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, who stated he leaked information to the Wall Street Journal with Comey’s knowledge and approval. The case was ultimately dismissed after a federal judge ruled that the prosecutor who filed the charge had been improperly appointed and lacked valid authority to bring the case.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed a grand jury had returned an indictment and arrest warrant against Comey. Blanche noted the case would proceed according to the standard legal process, including coordination between the DOJ and Comey’s legal team.