October  26, 2026 – Prosecutors have charged former FBI Director James Comey in Washington, D.C., with unlawfully sharing national defense information. It is the third criminal case brought against him during President Donald Trump’s second term.

The charging document, made public Monday, alleges that on or about October 5, 2016, while Comey was still leading the FBI, he knowingly communicated information related to the national defense to a person not entitled to receive it. It also alleges that Comey, through one or more co-conspirators, directed an unnamed individual to disclose such information to a reporter for a national news publication. The case had been under seal since early October.

The charges

• Transmission of national defense information: Prosecutors allege Comey communicated national defense information to someone not authorized to receive it.
• Conspiracy: Prosecutors allege he conspired with others to violate the law against sharing such information.

Comey denied wrongdoing in a video statement posted after the filing became public, saying he is innocent and criticizing the case as an abuse of the Justice Department. His attorneys had already moved to dismiss the charges before they were unsealed. The charges are allegations, and Comey is presumed innocent.

The earlier cases

• September 2025 (Virginia)
  • Charges: False statement and obstruction of Congress, tied to his 2020 Senate testimony
  • Status: Dismissed in November 2025 because the prosecutor, Lindsey Halligan, was found to be unlawfully appointed. The dismissal was without prejudice, and the Justice Department appealed.
• April 2026 (North Carolina)
  • Charges: Two counts of threatening the president over an Instagram post of seashells spelling “86 47”
  • Status: Comey’s lawyers moved to dismiss in July, arguing the post was protected speech. [Confirm current status; trial had been set for October.]
• October 2026 (Washington, D.C.)
  • Charges: Transmission of national defense information; conspiracy
  • Status: Charges made public Oct. 26. Defense motion to dismiss filed.

Source: https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2026/10/26/james-comey-indictment-national-defense-doj-trump.html