By Paul M. Collins Jr., Professor of Legal Studies and Political Science, UMass Amherst

Former FBI Director James Comey pleaded not guilty to two criminal charges in a federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, on October 8.

The charges allege that Comey lied to Congress in September 2020 when he stood by earlier testimony that he did not authorize a leak of an FBI investigation involving Hillary Clinton.

Numerous legal commentators on both the left and right have argued that Comey’s indictment is little more than the Trump administration seeking vengeance on one of the president’s perceived enemies. They allege that the president has it out for Comey, who investigated Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and was fired by Trump in 2017.

The president’s own words support

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