Former FBI Director James Comey's lawyers are set to argue in court on Nov. 19 that he was vindictively targeted with criminal charges at the behest of President Donald Trump, and that the federal case against him should therefore be thrown out.
Comey was indicted by a federal grand jury on Sept. 25 on charges that he lied to Congress and obstructed a congressional proceeding when he testified before a Senate committee in 2020. Comey allegedly told senators he didn't authorize an anonymous leak of information to the media, knowing that statement was false.
The Nov. 19 hearing will give Comey's lawyers a chance to air out their argument from an earlier court filing, and also an opportunity for Justice Department lawyers to respond. The government previously argued in a court document that the case should survive because Comey has failed to show the case was brought "solely to punish" him.
Judge Michael Nachmanoff, a Biden appointee, could also offer early indicators of how he is likely to rule on the matter.
The charges against Comey followed a series of events that have fueled outcries that Trump is improperly politicizing the Justice Department.
