1 week ago Judge orders prosecutors to turn over evidence in case against James Comey

Federal judge concerned that justice department sought to ‘indict first and investigate later’ in case of ex-FBI directorA federal judge on Wednesday ordered prosecutors in the criminal case of the former FBI director James Comey to produce a trove of materials from the investigation, saying he was concerned that the justice department’s position had been to “indict first and investigate later”.Magistrate judge William Fitzpatrick instructed prosecutors to produce by the end of the day on Thursday grand jury materials as well as other evidence that investigators seized during the investigation. The order followed arguments in which Comey’s attorneys said they were at a disadvantage because they had not been able to review materials that were gathered years ago. Continue reading...

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1 week ago Judge in Comey case scolds prosecutors as he orders them to produce records from probe

A federal judge has ordered prosecutors in the criminal case of former FBI Director James Comey to produce a trove of materials from the investigation, saying he was concerned the Justice Department’s position had to been to “indict first and investigate later.”

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2 w. ago Lawyers for Comey seek grand jury transcript, bringing fresh challenge to a case pushed by Trump

Lawyers for former FBI Director James Comey want to review a transcript and audio recording of grand jury proceedings in his criminal case, citing what they say were “irregularities” in the process that should result in the dismissal of an indictment pushed by President Donald Trump

Politics

2 w. ago Trump is often angry but rarely hurt – yet Canada has managed to pull it off | Emma Brockes

Why has an ad quoting Ronald Reagan’s criticism of tariffs triggered such a reaction from the president?One difficulty of a presidency as volatile as Donald Trump’s is separating what makes him angry (almost everything) from what genuinely, revealingly enrages him – what sends him round the bend at the mineral level. For instance, he hates Letitia James, the New York attorney general who in 2022 successfully brought a civil fraud case against him and whom he has since urged the justice department to pursue for mortgage fraud. But that’s just basic revenge – see also his pursuit of ex-FBI director James Comey. More interesting are the fleeting, trivial things that set Trump off, including his meltdown last week over a TV commercial from Canada.On the surface it didn’t seem like a particularly big deal: a TV ad airing on US television, paid for by the Canadian province of Ontario, in which an audio clip of Ronald Reagan denouncing tariffs ran over inspiring footage of the American wes...

Politics

2 w. ago More than 100 former Justice Department officials call for ‘vindictive’ case against former FBI Director James Comey to be dismissed

Scholars of authoritarianism including Francis Fukuyama also asked the judge to throw out the charges, saying they were a clear example of an autocratic leader abusing the justice system to consolidate power

Politics

3 w. ago Former FBI Director James Comey wants his case thrown out over ‘vindictive prosecution’ fueled by Trump’s ‘personal spite’

‘The government has singled out Mr. Comey for prosecution because of his protected speech and because of President Trump’s personal animus,’ Comey’s lawyers wrote

Politics

3 w. ago Comey asks judge to dismiss criminal charges claiming selective prosecution

Ex-FBI director claims he is victim of selective prosecution and charges were filed by unlawfully appointed attorneyFormer FBI director James Comey formally asked a federal judge to dismiss criminal charges against him, arguing he was the victim of a selective prosecution and that the US attorney who filed the charges was unlawfully appointed.“The record as it currently exists shows a clear causal link between President Trump’s animus and the prosecution of Mr Comey,” Comey’s lawyers wrote in their request to dismiss the case, calling a 20 September Truth Social post in which he disparaged Comey and called for his prosecution “smoking gun evidence”. “President Trump’s repeated public statements and action leave no doubt as to the government’s genuine animus toward Mr Comey.” Comey’s lawyers attached an exhibit to their filing on Monday, which contains dozens of public statements from Trump criticizing Comey. Continue reading...

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