Comey indicted again over '86 47' post, sparking true-threat debate
Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted again on federal charges alleging his now-deleted Instagram post showing seashells arranged to spell '86 47' could be read as a threat to the President. The case centers on whether the post constitutes a true threat not protected by the First Amendment, a standard drawn from Watts, Elonis, and Counterman, with experts predicting a high bar for prosecutors and potential vindictive-prosecution defenses; Comey previously faced an indictment that was dismissed on procedural grounds.