Comey indicted again over seashell post deemed a threat to Trump

Former FBI Director James Comey has been indicted by the DOJ on two felony counts of threatening the president’s life over a year-old social-media post featuring seashells that spelled “8647.” The DOJ says the post constitutes a death threat against President Trump and has issued an arrest warrant; Comey says he didn’t know that “86” could be read as violent and removed the post. The case tests the Supreme Court’s 2023 standard that a defendant must knowingly understand their statement could be read as a threat, otherwise it’s protected by the First Amendment. This is the second time the Trump-era DOJ has pursued charges against Comey after a prior indictment for lying to Congress was dismissed on procedural grounds. The five-year statute of limitations may limit related actions, and the outcome could influence other cases against political opponents.