Lead Prosecutor Leaves DOJ's Case Accusing James Comey of Threatening Trump via Seashell Post The federal prosecutor who led the indictment against former FBI Director James Comey for allegedly threatening President Trump by posting an image of seashells arranged as "86 47" has been removed from the case, according to court documents filed late Friday. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Petracca, who was listed as the government’s lead lawyer on the Comey case, is no longer involved, and federal prosecutor Timothy Severo has taken his place. Petracca’s departure follows similar withdrawals from at least three other cases, though the reasons for his removal remain unspecified. Comey, a long-time critic of President Trump, was charged in North Carolina last month with one count of threatening the president’s life and one count of transmitting an interstate threat. The indictment, which is set for trial in October, centers on a May 2025 Instagram post by Comey showing seashells forming the numbers "86 47" on a beach. Trump and his allies immediately condemned the post, arguing that the use of "86" implied a desire to kill the 47th president. Merriam-Webster defines "86" as slang for "throw out" or "get rid of," but critics argue the term’s ambiguity makes the charge legally dubious. Comey’s legal team has denounced the indictment as selective and vindictive prosecution, emphasizing that the case appears to target his political opposition to Trump. Comey, who was fired as FBI director by Trump in 2017, has consistently criticized the president since then. His defense claims the charges are an attempt to punish him for his political speech rather than a legitimate legal action.#james_comey #perry_carbone #merriam_webster #timothy_severo #matthew_petracca
Former FBI Director James Comey Faces Criminal Charges Over '86 47' Post A federal grand jury has indicted former FBI Director James Comey for allegedly making threats against President Donald Trump through a social media post referencing the term "86 47." The charges, brought under the Justice Department’s authority during the Trump administration, allege that Comey’s use of the slang phrase constituted a "serious expression of intent to do harm" to the 47th president. The case has sparked intense legal and constitutional debate, with experts questioning whether the prosecution meets the high bar for defining speech as a "true threat" under the First Amendment. The indictment centers on a post Comey shared on Instagram in 2021, in which he depicted a series of seashells arranged to spell out "86 47." The term "86" is widely recognized as slang for "to throw out" or "get rid of," often used in restaurant kitchens to indicate that an item should be discarded. Merriam-Webster defines it as such, and the phrase has also been adopted in political discourse as a shorthand for removing a public figure. Mr. Trump himself referenced the term on his social media platform, Truth Social, stating that "86" is a "mob term for 'kill him.'" Legal scholars and constitutional experts have raised concerns that the charges could set a dangerous precedent for free speech. Perry Carbone, a law professor at Pace University and former U.S. Attorney, warned that prosecuting ambiguous political speech risks undermining the First Amendment. "If you can charge somebody for arranging seashells in the sand with an ambiguous message, if that's a threat, if that's criminal speech, then the First Amendment is in serious jeopardy," Carbone said.#donald_trump #fbi_director_james_comey #merriam_webster #perry_carbone #carissa_byrne_hessick
