Comey Seeks Dismissal of Seashell Threat Case, Citing Free Speech
Former FBI Director James Comey has filed a motion to dismiss a federal indictment accusing him of threatening President Donald Trump. The charge stems from an Instagram photo of seashells arranged to read "86 47," which prosecutors interpreted as a death threat. Comey’s lawyers argue the post is protected political hyperbole under the First Amendment, not a "true threat." They also allege vindictive prosecution and illegal Secret Service surveillance of Comey and his wife. The DOJ has not yet responded.
Editorial responsibility
- No named human review is recorded for this page.
- Reports are grouped by semantic similarity and deterministic rules. Language models may assist titles, summaries, translation and cross-source analysis; the page itself is projected from evidence records.
- Current automated evidence projection
Cross-source coverage
Wire timeline
Comey Legal Team Alleges Illegal Surveillance and Selective Prosecution in Threat Case
Former FBI Director James Comey's attorneys filed a motion to dismiss his indictment for threatening President Donald Trump, arguing selective and vindictive prosecution driven by Trump's animosity. The motion cites evidence that the Secret Service illegally surveilled Comey by obtaining his cellphone location data via an emergency request without proper justification, contradicting Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche's account. The defense notes that over 200,000 Amazon products featured the same '86 47' slogan, yet no investigations were launched. The Secret Service agents acknowledged the surveillance was 'legally questionable' but proceeded anyway. The case stems from Comey's Instagram post of seashells arranged to read '86 47,' which prosecutors claim was a threat to assassinate Trump, though Comey removed the post and denied any violent intent.
Records Show Government Illegally Surveilled James Comey and Confirm Absurdity of Case Against Him
Former FBI Director James Comey's attorneys filed a motion to dismiss his indictment for threatening President Trump, arguing selective and vindictive prosecution. The motion cites evidence that the Secret Service illegally surveilled Comey after he posted a seashell photo reading '86 47' on Instagram. Despite over 200,000 Amazon products featuring similar phrases, no other investigations were opened. Secret Service agents admitted there was no imminent threat but still obtained Comey's cellphone location data via an emergency request, which the defense says violated federal law. The filing also contradicts Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche's account of the case, suggesting he pursued it to secure his nomination after Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi. Comey's attorneys argue the prosecution is based on a ubiquitous political slogan protected by the First Amendment.
Trump Demanded to Personally Review Details in DOJ’s Comey Case
Former President Donald Trump may have undermined the criminal case against his political rival, former FBI Director James Comey, due to his deep personal involvement in the investigation. The DOJ indicted Comey for allegedly threatening Trump's life by posting an Instagram photo of seashells spelling '86 47,' interpreted as a death threat. Comey's lawyers filed a motion to dismiss, arguing Trump's interference tainted the case. Government documents revealed Trump ordered Secret Service agents to send interview notes to Air Force One for his review before a press conference. The Secret Service monitored Comey's drive to Washington without a warrant, at the behest of a senior DOJ official, even tailing him to his deceased son's grave. The Trump administration also consulted mobster Sammy 'The Bull' Gravano to confirm the term's violent meaning. The case highlights ongoing tensions between Trump and Comey stemming from the Russia investigation.
Show 9 older updatesHide older updates
Trump Demanded to Personally Review Details in DOJ’s Comey Case
Former FBI Director James Comey's legal team has filed a motion to dismiss the criminal case against him, arguing that President Donald Trump's personal involvement in the investigation undermines its legitimacy. The DOJ indicted Comey for allegedly threatening the president's life by posting a seashell photo spelling '86 47' on Instagram. According to government documents, Trump instructed Secret Service agents to send their interview notes to Air Force One for his personal review, and requested the notes for a press conference. The Secret Service monitored Comey and his wife without a warrant, including during a visit to their deceased son's grave, at the behest of a senior DOJ official. The filing also reveals that the Trump administration consulted mobster Sammy 'The Bull' Gravano to confirm the violent meaning of '86,' though Gravano noted gangsters would avoid the term. The case stems from Trump's long-standing animosity toward Comey, who led the Russia investigation and was fired by Trump in 2017.
Trump Demanded to Personally Review Details in DOJ’s Comey Case
Former President Donald Trump may have undermined the criminal case against his political rival, former FBI Director James Comey, by personally intervening in the investigation. The DOJ indicted Comey for allegedly threatening Trump's life by posting an Instagram photo of seashells spelling '86 47,' interpreted as a death threat. Comey's lawyers filed a motion to dismiss, arguing Trump's deep involvement tainted the case. Government documents revealed Trump ordered Secret Service agents to send interview notes to Air Force One for his review before a press conference. The Secret Service conducted warrantless surveillance of Comey and his wife, including while visiting their deceased son's grave, at the behest of a senior DOJ official. The Trump administration also consulted mobster Sammy 'The Bull' Gravano to confirm the term's violent meaning. The case highlights ongoing tensions between Trump and Comey stemming from the Russia investigation.
Trump DOJ Consulted Mobster and Used Emergency Tracking in Case Against James Comey
The Department of Justice, under the Trump administration, took unusual steps in prosecuting former FBI Director James Comey for allegedly threatening President Trump via an Instagram post of seashells spelling '86 47'. The DOJ consulted former mafia boss Salvatore 'Sammy the Bull' Gravano to argue '86' is mafia slang for murder, but Gravano and former prosecutor John Gleeson dismissed the claim. Federal agents also used emergency cell phone tracking—typically reserved for imminent threats—to monitor Comey's location without a warrant, despite a Secret Service agent noting no emergency existed. Comey's lawyers filed a motion to dismiss the case, which has repeatedly faltered and was recently revived by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. The article portrays the prosecution as politically motivated and likely to fail.
Trump DOJ Consulted Mobster and Used Emergency Tracking in Case Against James Comey
The Department of Justice under President Trump took unusual steps in prosecuting former FBI Director James Comey for allegedly threatening Trump via an Instagram post of seashells spelling '86 47'. The DOJ consulted former mafia boss Salvatore 'Sammy the Bull' Gravano to argue '86' is mob slang for murder, but Gravano said real mobsters would find the term too obvious. Former prosecutor John Gleeson called the claim 'preposterous.' Federal agents also used emergency cell phone tracking—normally reserved for imminent threats—to monitor Comey's location without a warrant, despite a Secret Service agent noting no emergency existed and the tracking was legally questionable. Comey's lawyers filed a motion to dismiss the case, which has repeatedly fallen apart and was recently revived by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
Secret Service 'illegally' surveilled Comey in Trump '8647' threat case: court filing
Lawyers for former FBI Director James Comey have filed a motion in North Carolina federal court to dismiss an indictment accusing him of threatening President Donald Trump. The indictment stems from Comey posting a photo of seashells forming the numbers '8647' on Instagram, which Trump interpreted as an assassination threat ('86' meaning to eliminate, and Trump being the 47th president). The court filing alleges the U.S. Secret Service knowingly conducted illegal warrantless electronic surveillance of Comey and his wife at the request of a high-level Department of Justice official, including tracking them as they visited their deceased son's grave. The filing also claims a Secret Service supervisor acknowledged the surveillance was 'legally questionable' but proceeded anyway, and that the agency coordinated closely with Trump, sending updates to Air Force One. Comey's lawyers argue this constitutes vindictive and selective prosecution. A DOJ spokesperson stated Comey will have his day in court. This follows a previous indictment against Comey being dismissed due to an unlawfully appointed prosecutor.
Comey seeks to toss seashell '86' case, accusing Trump, DOJ of vindictive prosecution
Former FBI Director James Comey filed a motion late Tuesday to dismiss the criminal case against him, which stems from his sharing a photo of seashells arranged to spell '86 47.' Comey argues the prosecution is selective and vindictive, ordered by President Trump. In a separate filing, he also requested a Franks hearing to challenge the validity of the search warrant or evidence used in the case. The case has drawn significant attention due to the unusual nature of the alleged offense and the high-profile figures involved.
James Comey Seeks Dismissal of '86 47' Charges, Citing Free Speech
Former FBI Director James Comey filed a motion on Monday to dismiss criminal charges brought by the Trump administration's Justice Department over an Instagram post. The post featured seashells arranged to read '86 47,' which prosecutors interpreted as a 'true threat' against President Donald Trump. Comey's attorneys argue the phrase is 'political hyperbole' protected by the First Amendment, noting '86' commonly means 'get rid of' or 'eject' without violent connotation. They claim the prosecution unfairly targets Comey as an outspoken critic of the president and that the slogan is widely used on merchandise and at protests without government action. The DOJ has not yet responded. Comey's lawyers warn that allowing the case to proceed would chill political speech and set a dangerous precedent for prosecuting political opponents.
Comey Moves to Dismiss Seashell Threat Case, Says '86 47' Not a True Threat
Former FBI Director James Comey has filed a motion to dismiss a case accusing him of threatening President Donald Trump's life. The motion, submitted in the Eastern District of North Carolina, argues that a social media post showing seashells arranged to spell '86 47' cannot be considered a 'true threat' under the law. Comey's legal team contends the message was ambiguous and not intended as a credible threat. The case stems from a beach visit where Comey photographed the seashell arrangement. The filing seeks to have the charges thrown out before trial, citing First Amendment protections and lack of evidence of intent to harm.
Comey Seeks Dismissal of Trump Threat Case Over Seashell Photo
Former FBI Director James Comey has formally asked a federal judge to dismiss his indictment on a charge of threatening to kill President Donald Trump. Comey's lawyers argue that an Instagram photo he posted of seashells spelling out the number '86 47' does not constitute a 'true threat' and is protected free speech under the First Amendment. They contend the numerical phrase is a well-known political slogan expressing opposition to the president. The case stems from a photo taken on a North Carolina beach. The article is presented as breaking news with updates to follow.