A federal grand jury indicted former FBI Director James Comey over allegations he lied to Congress, in a sign of US President Donald Trump’s sway over the justice system.
Comey, a longtime Trump foe, handled the investigation into Russia’s alleged interference in Trump’s 2016 election win. A federal attorney resigned last week, apparently under pressure from Trump, after he concluded there was insufficient evidence to prosecute Comey.
The Washington Post reported that several attorneys shared concerns with the new prosecutor about the lack of evidence. The indictment raised fears that the president “had effectively ordered the prosecution of a political adversary,” Politico reported. Comey said he knew there were “costs to standing up to Donald Trump.”