The RecordExhibit 51
Prosecuting the president's critics
Mixed rulings means: Courts have ruled both ways on parts of it.
After Trump publicly pressed his attorney general, the Justice Department indicted former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James and former adviser John Bolton.
What happened
Career prosecutors had doubted the evidence against Comey and James. The U.S. attorney who declined to charge them resigned under threat of firing and was replaced by Lindsey Halligan, a former Trump personal lawyer. Asked who was next, Trump said there would be others.
Where it stands
A judge threw out the Comey and James cases in November 2025 after ruling Halligan was unlawfully appointed; the administration appealed, and an appeals court heard arguments in September 2026. Prosecutors also tried twice to get a new indictment of James, and grand juries in Norfolk and Alexandria declined both times. In April 2026 Comey was indicted again, in North Carolina, on charges that an Instagram photo of seashells spelling out '86 47' threatened the president. His motions to dismiss it as vindictive are pending, and his arraignment has been pushed to January 2027. Bolton's case was different in kind: he pleaded guilty in June 2026 to illegally keeping classified material. A separate Justice Department investigation in the Southern District of Florida, known as the 'grand conspiracy' probe and aimed at people NBC News describes as Trump's perceived political enemies, has produced no charges. Its leader, Joe diGenova, resigned in September 2026. NBC reported that department leaders felt it was moving too slowly and that it is expected to continue, with prosecutors seeking grand jury testimony from former officials.
The administration's side
Trump says it isn't about revenge, calling Comey a dirty cop and arguing the conduct can't be allowed to go on. Prosecutors say the seashell post was a threat against the president and that Comey hasn't shown the people who decided to charge him had improper motives.
Sources
Permanent link: https://unredactedrecord.com/e/enemies/