The Justice Department filed charges on Tuesday against former FBI Director James Comey for a picture he shared on Instagram last May. The photo depicted seashells on a beach, arranged to spell out the numbers “86 47.” Comey included his own caption: “Cool shell formation on my beach walk.”
The day after the photo was originally posted in 2025, Comey was interviewed by Secret Service agents. Comey immediately took down the post and denied any intent to convey a threat. “I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence,” he said. “It never occurred to me, but I oppose violence of any kind, so I took the post down.”
Nevertheless, the president and his allies pounced. Trump called the former director “a dirty cop.” Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s director of national intelligence, said Comey should be jailed for the post.
This new indictment, filed in North Carolina where the post occurred, is suspect for several reasons. But the legal theory behind it is flimsy, at best.
This is a preview of Barbara McQuade’s latest column. Read the full column here.
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This week on “Clock It,” Symone Sanders Townsend and Eugene Daniels question who’s really running the White House as the U.S. tries to strike a deal in the Middle East. Then, cultural and fashion icon Michaela angela Davis joins to reminisce about when magazines like Vibe, Honey and Essence felt like homebase for Black journalists. Listen now, and subscribe to MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts for ad-free listening and bonus content.
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This week on “The Best People,” Nicolle Wallace is joined by New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill to discuss the quiet benefits of being underestimated, how states are looking to expand their powers and what battles to choose with President Trump. Listen now and subscribe to MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts for early access, ad-free listening and bonus content.
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