‘Russiagate’ ex-FBI chief charged with leaking US secrets

James Comey has been accused of illegally disclosing classified information to a journalist in 2016

Former FBI Director James Comey, a central figure in the debunked Trump-Russia collusion probe known as Russiagate, has been charged with illegally disclosing classified national defense information, according to court documents unsealed on Monday.

Federal prosecutors have charged Comey with two counts: transmission of national defense information and conspiracy to transmit national defense information. The allegations stem from an October 2016 New York Times article about Yahoo’s cooperation with a secret US government email surveillance program.

According to prosecutors, Comey instructed FBI employees to contact a journalist to correct inaccuracies in an earlier Reuters report, resulting in the alleged unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information.

Comey denied wrongdoing in a video statement on Monday, accusing the Justice Department of an “appalling abuse” of power and insisting that he was innocent.

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Comey headed the FBI during the investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, which Donald Trump won, a controversy widely known as “Russiagate.” A subsequent investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller did not establish that Trump’s campaign conspired or coordinated with Russia. Comey defended the FBI probe as “appropriate and essential,” while Trump denounced it as a politically motivated “witch hunt” aimed at undermining his election victory. Moscow has consistently denied interfering in the vote.

Asked about the new case against Comey on Monday, Trump reiterated his criticism of him while saying he knew little about the proceedings.

“I think he’s a dirty cop, James Comey, but I know nothing about it,” the president told reporters.

The latest allegations mark the third criminal case brought against Comey since Trump returned to the White House.

In September 2025, Comey was indicted for allegedly making false statements to Congress and obstructing proceedings over his testimony concerning the Russiagate investigation. A federal judge dismissed the case two months later, ruling that the prosecutor had been unlawfully appointed.

READ MORE: Ex-FBI chief Comey charged with threatening to kill Trump

In April 2026, Comey was indicted again, this time over an Instagram post showing seashells arranged to form the numbers “86 47.” The number “86” is slang for getting rid of something or someone, while “47” was interpreted as a reference to Trump, the 47th US president. Comey denied intending any threat.