James Comey, the former FBI director, was indicted on Thursday for allegedly lying to Congress and obstructing a criminal proceeding. This indictment marks him as the first former senior government official to face prosecution related to President Donald Trump’s grievances regarding the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

The charges come just days after Trump appeared to pressure his attorney general to take action against Comey and other political adversaries. Trump has consistently labeled the investigation a "hoax" and a "witch hunt," despite findings from multiple government reviews confirming that Russia interfered in the election to benefit Trump's campaign.

The two-count indictment accuses Comey of making false statements during his testimony to Congress on September 30, 2020. It also includes a charge of obstruction. The case has raised concerns about the potential politicization of the Justice Department under Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is seen as a Trump ally. Critics worry that the department is being used to target individuals viewed as political enemies of the president.

The indictment was filed as the White House has been increasingly involved in Justice Department operations, blurring the lines between law enforcement and politics. Comey has been a frequent target of Trump’s ire since he was fired in May 2017, shortly after confirming that Trump was under investigation for his campaign's ties to Russia.

In a social media post, Trump specifically called out Comey, expressing frustration that charges had not yet been brought against him. He stated, "JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!" This post followed a weekend where Trump criticized Bondi for not acting swiftly enough against Comey.

The Eastern District of Virginia, which is handling the case, has experienced turmoil recently. Chief prosecutor Erik Siebert resigned under pressure to pursue charges against another Trump critic, New York Attorney General Letitia James. Lindsey Halligan, a White House aide with no prior federal prosecutorial experience, has been nominated by Trump to serve as U.S. attorney for the district.

Prosecutors had to act quickly to bring the case against Comey before the five-year statute of limitations expired. Despite internal concerns about the strength of the case, Halligan presented it to a grand jury this week.

The indictment does not address the substance of the Russia investigation itself. Instead, it focuses on Comey’s statements regarding whether he authorized anyone to act as an anonymous source to a reporter about the investigation. Trump has long criticized the findings of U.S. intelligence agencies that concluded Russia favored him over Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election.

While special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation did not find evidence of criminal conspiracy between Trump’s campaign and Russia, it did reveal that the campaign welcomed Russian assistance. Trump has used the lack of collusion findings to claim vindication, despite the investigation's conclusions about Russian interference.

Comey, who was appointed FBI director by President Barack Obama, has had a contentious relationship with Trump. Their conflict intensified when Comey refused to pledge personal loyalty to Trump during a private dinner, a request that he documented in a memo. After his dismissal, Comey authorized a friend to leak details of a memo that described Trump asking him to end an investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

The Justice Department previously declined to prosecute Comey for his handling of memos related to his dismissal. However, a 2019 inspector general report criticized him for violating FBI policies by not returning documents after his termination and sharing them with personal lawyers without permission. Earlier this year, Comey’s daughter, Maurene Comey, was fired from her position as a prosecutor in the Southern District of New York, leading her to file a lawsuit claiming political motivations behind her termination.