Former FBI Director James Comey is scheduled to be arraigned in a Virginia federal court on Wednesday morning, several weeks after being indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of obstruction of justice and making a false statement.
Reports said Comey pleaded not guilty during his appearance Wednesday morning.
The case stems from allegations that Comey misled the Senate during testimony in September 2020, when he reaffirmed his 2017 denial of authorizing an FBI leak to the media concerning the Trump-Russia or Clinton-related investigations. Prosecutors further allege that Comey obstructed Congress by providing false statements to lawmakers.
While the arraignment has drawn national attention, senior Justice Department officials on Tuesday dismissed reports suggesting that law enforcement planned to arrest Comey publicly or escort him theatrically into court, saying the proceedings will follow standard protocol.
“Mr. Comey has been directed to appear, and I expect that he will,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told Fox News. “The noise from MSNBC and from retired agents or unnamed anonymous sources about perp walks is just that. It’s just noise.”
The FBI was reportedly considering a “showy” arrest and perp walk of Comey — and the bureau has already suspended an agent who refused to take part, according to multiple sources cited by CBS News.
Comey was charged last month with lying to Congress and obstructing a congressional proceeding. The move came after President Donald Trump publicly pressed Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate his longtime adversary.