Former FBI Director James Comey issued a video statement on Instagram shortly after Attorney General Pam Bondi announced his indictment by a federal grand jury on one count of making false statements and one count of obstruction of justice. “My family and I have known for years that there are costs to standing up to Donald Trump, but we couldn’t imagine ourselves living any other way,” he said in the video. “We will not live on our knees, and you shouldn’t either. Somebody that I love dearly recently said that fear is the tool of a tyrant and she’s right, but I’m not afraid and I hope you’re not either.”Comey continued, “I hope instead you are engaged, you are paying attention and you will vote like your beloved country depends upon it, which it does.”“My heart is broken for the Department of Justice, but I have great confidence in the federal judicial system, and I’m innocent, so let’s have a trial,” Comey concluded. “And keep the faith.”Watch his video here.In this Feb. 24, 2020, file photo, former FBI director James Comey speaks at Harvard University's Institute of Politics' JFK Jr. Forum in Cambridge, Mass.AP Photo/Charles Krupa, FileComey’s indictment follows Trump’s pressure campaign on Bondi, whom he explicitly urged to take action against the former leader of the FBI. In a Truth Social statement this weekend, Trump also called on Bondi to investigate others who’ve previously looked into his conduct, including Comey, Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and New York Attorney General Letitia James.The Justice Department’s decision to pursue charges against Comey marks a stark escalation in how the body is helping Trump seek punishment against his political enemies. Comey has been a frequent target for the president, given his open criticism of the administration and past work on an FBI inquiry scrutinizing ties between Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russia. Maurene Comey, the daughter of James Comey and a former federal prosecutor, has also alleged that she was fired from her position earlier this year because of who her father is.Minutes after the indictment was announced on Thursday, Comey’s son-in-law, Troy Edwards, resigned his role as a federal prosecutor, citing a need “to uphold my oath to the Constitution and the country.”Close