Comey indictment meant to tar others with Trump's crimes

By Barbara McQuade / Bloomberg Opinion

Now that former FBI Director James Comey has been criminally indicted — just days before the expiration of the statute of limitations — it is fair to ask why.

Charges filed at the command of the president would seem to undermine the legitimacy of the Department of Justice. And maybe that’s the point. Regardless, it marks a sad, dark day for the rule of law.

A grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia charged Comey with lying to Congress on Sept. 30, 2020. The two-count indictment alleges false statements and obstruction of justice, both apparently based on the same conduct: his denial that he had authorized anyone to leak information to the press concerning FBI investigations into 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, or President Donald Trump.

The indictment came a week after Trump posted a demand to Attorney General Pam Bondi to charge Comey and other perceived enemies, calling them “guilty as hell.” Perhaps cognizant that the five-year statute of limitations would be expiring within days, Trump added, “We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility.”

https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/comment-comey-indictment-meant-to-tar-others-with-trumps-crimes/