Washington: The US Justice Department has indicted former FBI director James Comey on criminal charges of obstruction and making false statements in an escalation of President Donald Trump’s campaign to seek retribution against people who have investigated or criticised him.

If convicted, he could spend up to five years in prison.

Comey, in a video posted on Instagram, said: “My heart is broken for the Department of Justice, but I have great confidence in the federal judicial system, and I’m innocent. So, let’s have a trial and keep the faith.”

Trump has threatened to imprison his political rivals since he first ran for president in 2015, but Comey’s indictment marks the first time his administration has succeeded in securing a grand jury indictment against one of them. Trump’s Justice

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