Trump DOJ consulted mobster, used emergency tracking in Comey case

Published Jul 29, 03:32 PM UTC

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.