By Andrew Goudsward

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Federal prosecutors revealed in a court filing on Monday that their false statements case against former FBI Director James Comey is centered around discussions he allegedly had with an associate to shape news coverage of Comey’s controversial decision to reopen a probe into Democrat Hillary Clinton weeks before the 2016 presidential election.

The Justice Department’s filing sought to push back on Comey’s claim he is being improperly prosecuted because of U.S. President Donald Trump’s “personal spite” against him.

Comey is accused of lying in 2020 when he told a Senate committee he stood by prior testimony that he had not authorized anyone at the FBI to serve as an anonymous source in news reports about investigations into Trump and Clinton.

Co

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