President Trump weighed in on the indictment of former FBI Director James B. Comey, saying he was a “destroyer of lives” who must “pay a big price.”
The president also said the case against Mr. Comey, who is accused of lying to Congress about the FBI’s Trump-Russia collusion probe, was a slam dunk for prosecutors.
“Whether you like Corrupt James Comey or not, and I can’t imagine too many people liking him, HE LIED!” Mr. Trump posted on Truth Social on Friday morning. “There is no way he can explain his way out of it. He is a dirty cop and always has been.”
A federal grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia, handed down indictments against Mr. Comey on Thursday: one count of making a false statement and one count of obstruction related to his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2020.
“Words are words, and he wasn’t hedging or in dispute,” Mr. Trump said. “He was very positive there was no doubt in his mind about what he said or meant by saying it. He left himself zero margin of error on a big and important answer to a question. He just got unexpectedly caught.”
“James ‘Dirty Cop’ Comey was a destroyer of lives. He knew exactly what he was saying and that it was a very serious and far-reaching lie for which a very big price must be paid,” Mr. Trump continued.
SEE ALSO: Former FBI Director James Comey indicted by federal grand jury
The president noted that the Comey case was assigned to U.S. District Judge Michael Nachmanoff, a 2021 appointee of President Biden. He was randomly assigned to the case on Thursday.
“He was just assigned a Crooked Joe Biden-appointed Judge, so he’s off to a very good start,” Mr. Trump wrote.
In a follow-up post, the president reiterated that “James Comey is a dirty cop.”
Mr. Comey will be arraigned on Oct. 9.
In a video posted late Thursday on social media, Mr. Comey professed his innocence and said he looks forward to a trial.
“My heart is broken for the Department of Justice. I have great confidence in the federal judicial system and I am innocent, so let’s have a trial and keep the faith,” he said.
The former FBI director is accused of making false statements during his Sept. 30, 2020, testimony. He told lawmakers under oath that he had not leaked information about the Russia collusion probe to the media and was unaware of the leaks.
That contradicted the testimony of former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, who told lawmakers that he told Mr. Comey that he leaked information to reporters and that Mr. Comey approved the leak, thus authorizing it after its release.
Mr. Comey was fired during Mr. Trump’s first term over the investigation into the president’s 2016 campaign and purported ties to Russia. He has been a vocal critic of the president, accusing him of trying to politicize the justice system.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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