Trump DOJ consulted mafia boss, used emergency cell tracking in Comey case

Published Jul 29, 03:32 PM UTC

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.