Former FBI director James Comey has been charged in the United States. What the media is writing

The United States has filed criminal charges against former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) James Comey, who faces up to five years in prison. He is accused of making false statements before Congress for denying leaks during an investigation into US President Donald Trump's ties to Russia. Comey is a long-time opponent of the head of the White House. What the world's media are writing about the new high—profile trial is in the Izvestia digest.

NBC News: Ex-FBI director charged

Former FBI Director James Comey has been charged. This happened a few days after President Donald Trump publicly stated that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi should bring him and two other political opponents to justice. The indictment includes two counts: perjury and obstruction of Congress.

The statute of limitations on the charges was supposed to expire on September 30. If convicted, Komi faces up to five years in prison. Bondi said the indictment "reflects the Department of Justice's desire to hold accountable those who abuse power and mislead the American people. We will follow the facts in this case."

Financial Times: Comey investigated Trump's ties to Russia

Trump fired Comey as head of the FBI in 2017, when he was leading an investigation into contacts between Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and Russian officials. His dismissal led to the appointment of Robert Mueller, who previously headed the FBI, as a special prosecutor to conduct the investigation. Mueller eventually found no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow, and the president called the investigation a "witch hunt."

The indictment marks a sharp jump in the Trump administration's attacks on his political opponents. It will also raise concerns about the long-standing tradition that the Justice Department operates independently of the White House. This rule was established after the Watergate scandal with President Richard Nixon in the 1970s.

Axios: Comey has declared his innocence

Comey has protested his innocence after being charged with making false statements to Congress and obstructing an investigation into Russia. Comey, who has had a difficult relationship with Trump since he was fired as head of the FBI during the Republican's first administration, said he was "heartbroken for the Department of Justice" but had "full confidence" in the federal judicial system.

Comey said he was not afraid of accusations. He stated that "fear is a tyrant's tool," quoting his daughter Maureen Comey, who was fired from her position as a federal prosecutor in the summer.

Reuters: The 2020 testimony that led to the Comey charges

Comey has been criminally charged with perjury and obstruction of justice in connection with testimony he gave to Congress in September 2020 about an investigation into contacts between the Trump campaign and the Russian government. He stated that he confirms the truthfulness of his other testimony before the Senate in 2017. At the time, Comey said he had not disclosed or approved the disclosure of information to the media about the FBI's investigations into Trump or his 2016 opponent Hillary Clinton.

At the 2020 hearing, Senator Ted Cruz asked Comey questions about his deputy, Andrew McCabe, who admitted to being a source of information. Comey stated that he did not give permission for the disclosure of information and did not know about it before the publication of the article. Republicans also questioned Comey about the FBI's use of an unverified and largely discredited dossier of reports and rumors about Trump's ties to Moscow. FBI investigators used this dossier to obtain a warrant for covert surveillance of Trump's former campaign aide.

The volume of resignations: the shutdown will help Trump to clear the state apparatus of disloyal

Mass layoffs of civil servants will begin in the United States if Congress does not agree on the budget law.

Associated Press: Trump intensifies campaign of retaliation

Trump's unprecedented campaign of retaliation against his alleged political enemies has reached new heights. Days after Trump publicly demanded action from the attorney general, James Comey, a long-time target of Trump's ire, was indicted by a grand jury for allegedly making false statements to Congress in 2020. These events marked a sharp escalation in the excessive use of the levers of presidential power to persecute their political opponents.

In addition to Comey, Trump also pressured prosecutors to bring mortgage fraud charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James, who has opened a large-scale civil fraud case against the president. The Justice Department has also launched an investigation into mortgage fraud charges brought against Lisa Cook, the governor of the Federal Reserve System, who successfully challenged Trump's attempts to remove her from office in lower courts.