James Comey Charged Again Over Alleged Leak of National Defense Information
The third prosecution of the former FBI director under the Trump administration concerns an alleged 2016 leak that his lawyers say was previously investigated without charges.
By Hushread Stories, from 32 outlets · First published 26 Oct 2026
In brief
- Federal prosecutors have brought a third criminal case against former FBI Director James Comey under the Trump administration.
- The charges accuse Comey of disclosing national defense information and conspiring to disclose it.
- Prosecutors allege the information was communicated to someone not entitled to receive it in 2016.
- Comey denies wrongdoing and called the charges an appalling abuse of the Justice Department.
- His lawyers say the case concerns a previously investigated disclosure and argue it is legally invalid and too late.
Timeline · 5 moments
Comey's lawyers challenge new case as legally invalid
Deutsche Welle ↗Judge rules Justice Department illegally fired Comey's daughter
Daily Mail ↗Comey denies accusations of leaking information to reporter
Sydney Morning Herald ↗Lawyers identify alleged October 2016 disclosure as case focus
New York Times ↗Federal prosecutors bring third case against James Comey
NBC News ↗Update 27 Oct 2026, 5:01 am UTC
The new coverage identifies the alleged disclosure as information communicated to a person not entitled to receive it, in connection with 2016 disclosures published in The New York Times, according to ABC News and NDTV. Comey called the charges an abuse of the Justice Department, reported The Hill, while Deutsche Welle says his lawyers argue the case is legally invalid and comes too late. Global News reports prosecutors filed a criminal information to extend the 10-year statute of limitations; the published headline remains accurate.
How it started
The latest case against former FBI Director James Comey reaches back to an alleged disclosure a decade ago. His lawyers say it concerns a purported leak of national security information to The New York Times in October 2016, the newspaper reported.
The lawyers say that issue had already been investigated without charges. That is the defense's account of the earlier inquiry, not a finding about the merits of the new prosecution.
President Donald Trump fired Comey as FBI director in 2017. Comey has been a target of Trump for years, according to CNBC.
How it unfolded
Before this latest indictment, Comey was charged in April over allegations that a social media post threatened President Donald Trump's life, according to Forbes. The supplied coverage does not describe the outcome of that case.
On October 26, federal prosecutors charged Comey with transmission of national defense information and conspiracy to transmit national defense information, NBC News reported. It is the third time the Trump administration has brought charges against him.
The new accusations concern leaking national defense information to a reporter in 2016, according to the Sydney Morning Herald, which reported that Comey denies them.
The charges also came on the day a judge ruled that the Justice Department had illegally fired Comey's daughter, according to the Daily Mail. The supplied report does not establish a connection between that ruling and the prosecution.
Where it stands
Comey now faces a new prosecution over the alleged disclosure. The charges described by NBC News concern transmission and conspiracy to transmit national defense information, rather than the alleged social media threat at issue in April.
His lawyers' response focuses on the earlier investigation that produced no charges, according to The New York Times. The supplied coverage does not explain what evidence prosecutors now rely on or whether it differs from material examined previously.
What to watch
The central open question is what supports the decision to prosecute the alleged 2016 disclosure now. The supplied reports do not provide a next hearing date or describe how prosecutors will answer the defense's account of the previous investigation.
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