By Sam Michael
Former FBI Director James Comey is ramping up his legal counteroffensive against what he calls a politically motivated perjury indictment, firing off a new motion Thursday demanding secret grand jury transcripts and audio to expose potential prosecutorial foul play. As U.S. searches explode for “Comey grand jury motion,” “vindictive prosecution Comey,” “Lindsey Halligan appointment,” “Comey perjury charges,” and “Trump vindictive prosecution,” the high-stakes bid could unravel the case before it even hits trial, spotlighting deep fissures in the Justice Department’s handling of Trump-era vendettas.
Comey, indicted earlier this month in the Eastern District of Virginia on charges of lying to and obstructing Congress over his 2020 Senate testimony about FBI leaks, pleaded not guilty on October 15, 2025. The case hinges on allegations that Comey authorized anonymous sources for news reports on a Russia probe, a claim his team insists was “literally true” under Supreme Court precedent from Bronston v. United States (1973), which shields witnesses from perjury raps for evasive but factual answers. But the real fireworks are in the pretrial maneuvers: Comey’s lawyers, led by ex-Enron prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, first moved on October 20 to toss the case as “vindictive prosecution,” accusing President Trump of weaponizing the DOJ against a foe who testified about his 2017 firing during the Russia investigation.
The latest filing, a 26-page bombshell unsealed October 31, zeros in on Interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan—a Trump loyalist and former personal attorney with zero prosecutorial experience before her appointment. Halligan, installed after the prior U.S. attorney was ousted for balking at charging Trump’s critics, allegedly bungled the grand jury process: The indictment squeaked through after hours on a razor-thin 14-0 vote—barely a quorum—following an initial “no true bill” rejection of charges. Defense filings blast “factual errors in the indictment,” Halligan’s “confusion about the indictment paperwork,” and her failure to properly instruct jurors or field their questions.
“Comey’s team argues that unsealing these materials is essential to probe whether ‘tainted agent’s testimony’ tainted the proceedings, bolstering their vindictive prosecution claim,” notes a court filing. They tie it to Halligan’s “likely motive to obtain an indictment to satisfy the President’s demands,” citing Supreme Court Justices Alito and Thomas on improper appointments. U.S. District Senior Judge Cameron McGowan Currie, a Clinton appointee overseeing the case in South Carolina, ordered the DOJ to respond by November 7, keeping the clock ticking on potential dismissal.
Legal eagles are buzzing over the motion’s odds. “Motions like this are uphill battles, but Halligan’s inexperience and the indictment’s slim margins give Comey more ammo than most,” says a veteran federal defender who spoke anonymously to Law.com, pointing to a parallel DOJ dismissal last week in a $16 million NIH fraud case amid misconduct claims. On the flip side, DOJ insiders defend the process as airtight, though whispers of internal pushback echo the 2018-2019 shutdown-era ethics probes.
Public reaction is firing up online, with X ablaze over coercion allegations. A viral Politizoom post racked up hundreds of shares, questioning if jurors were strong-armed with a “no one leaves till I get an indictment” ultimatum. Snarky takes from accounts like @realTuckFrumper drew 500+ views in hours: “Comey Grand Jury Coerced? Trump’s revenge tour hits a wall.” Legal forums and Reddit’s r/politics are flooded with debates, many framing it as a litmus test for DOJ independence under Trump 2.0.
For everyday Americans, this saga cuts deep into trust in institutions. Politically, a win for Comey could hobble Trump’s promised purges, shielding whistleblowers and fueling midterm fire over judicial overreach—key in battlegrounds like Virginia. Economically, it underscores the $100 million-plus tab for endless probes, diverting resources from real crimes like cyber fraud. Lifestyle ripple? In a polarized era, it amps up dinner-table divides, but vindication might restore faith for civics buffs eyeing public service.
The filings land amid broader scrutiny of Trump DOJ holdovers, with Comey’s “Comey grand jury motion,” “vindictive prosecution Comey,” “Lindsey Halligan appointment,” “Comey perjury charges,” and “Trump vindictive prosecution” queries spiking nationwide. As Halligan scrambles to rebut, the clock to trial—or outright dismissal—ticks louder, potentially exposing cracks in the grand jury veil that could redefine federal accountability.
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