James Comey Charged Again in Third Federal Case

Former FBI Director James Comey faces federal charges of transmitting national defense information and conspiring to transmit it. Court records were made public Monday.

• Oct. 5: prosecutors filed the sealed charges in federal court in Washington, D.C.
• October 2016 is when Comey allegedly leaked a sensitive national security document.
• Comey has not been indicted in this case.
• Defense attorneys filed a motion to dismiss last week.

Why it matters: This is the third time Trump's Justice Department has charged Comey, whom Trump fired as FBI director in 2017.

• First case, over alleged false statements to Congress, was dismissed by a judge.
• Second case alleges an Instagram post threatened Trump; Comey pleaded not guilty.

How 81 sources split on this story

Where they split: Coverage differs on emphasis: whether the cases reflect Trump targeting a longtime adversary or a run of separate prosecutions of an outspoken critic.

What’s next: A judge will weigh the defense's motion to dismiss the new charges.

• The North Carolina case over the social media post remains pending.
• What document Comey allegedly shared, and with whom.
• Whether prosecutors will seek a grand jury indictment.
• How the roughly 10-year gap since the alleged leak will factor into the case.