James Comey faces a third Justice Department prosecution attempt

The Justice Department has made another attempt to prosecute James Comey, marking the third criminal case involving the former FBI director, the Associated Press and CBS News reported.

The latest allegations concern an information leak connected to an alleged 2016 disclosure involving a New York Times story about email surveillance. The reporting does not establish the specific charges asserted in the filing beyond that description.

The filing was submitted under seal before it became public. The Associated Press reported that the criminal information was filed under seal on October 5, 2026.

Comey’s lawyers have challenged both the filing’s legal validity and its timing, according to the Associated Press. Those objections add a legal dispute to the Justice Department’s latest effort to bring the case forward.

The Justice Department has also announced a federal grand jury indictment of Comey in a case involving an alleged threat against President Donald Trump. The department identified that matter as involving a social-media communication containing the numbers 86 and 47.

Taken together, the verified record shows repeated federal prosecution efforts involving Comey, while leaving the specific legal theories of the latest case outside this account. The latest filing’s sealed status, the reported leak allegations and the defense challenge are the central confirmed developments.