type: timeline_event
On September 25, 2025, a federal grand jury charged former FBI Director James Comey with serious crimes related to the disclosure of sensitive information. Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel announced the indictment, alleging that Comey obstructed a congressional investigation and made false statements. The charges stem from Comey's handling of sensitive FBI information, including memos documenting conversations with President Trump that Comey later shared with a Columbia law professor who leaked them to the media in 2017. The indictment represents a major escalation in the Trump administration's targeting of former law enforcement officials who investigated the president, marking the first criminal charges against a former FBI Director in U.S. history. Legal experts have raised concerns about the potential chilling effect on FBI independence and the use of DOJ to pursue political opponents.