Comey Indictment: No Theater, Just Questions
- Comey faces federal charges and an arraignment this week.
- FBI and DOJ leaders call perp-walk rumors distractions from the facts.
- Republicans should watch for equal treatment and media spectacle.
FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche pushed back hard on rumors of a “showy” arrest of former FBI Director James Comey during an interview with Fox News. The idea that Comey would be paraded for cameras felt more like political theater than law enforcement to many observers. This comes as Comey prepares to be arraigned at 10 a.m. on Wednesday.
A grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia returned an indictment last month charging Comey with two counts: false statements and obstruction of a congressional proceeding. For Republicans, the focus is straightforward: the law should apply equally, and optics can’t replace evidence. The case has been assigned to US District Judge Michael Nachmanoff, a Biden appointee.
Rumors about a perp walk picked up steam after Reuters reported that an FBI agent was relieved of duty for refusing to arrange a “perp walk” of Comey. That report sparked talk of a coordinated, camera-ready arrest and raised questions about whether certain media outlets were eager for a spectacle. The Reuters account added fuel to a story some see as more about theater than justice.
Media outlets amplified the narrative, with CBS News noting the FBI was reportedly considering arresting Comey with “large, beefy” agents in Kevlar vests before his arraignment. Such descriptions read like a made-for-TV moment, and they undercut confidence that decisions were being driven solely by procedure. Patel dismissed those scenes as distractions, saying the bureau isn’t in the show business.
Todd Blanche was blunt and called the whispers “gossip,” stressing that arrests happen routinely at courthouses across the country. His point was simple: don’t let sensational headlines warp the public’s view of due process. Republicans watching this want the DOJ to stick to the facts and avoid any appearance of politically motivated theater.
Fox News reported the sit-down where both officials criticized the “noise” coming from cable outlets and unnamed sources. The quoted exchange below was presented intact by the network and highlights the DOJ line that this should be handled like any other federal case. Read that exchange exactly as aired in the Fox segment.
Top Department of Justice officials brushed off rumors on Tuesday that James Comey would be arrested and paraded in front of the media, providing their remarks on the former FBI director’s court case one day before his scheduled arraignment.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News Digital in a sit-down interview at the FBI Chicago Field Office that media reports about a possible camera-ready Comey arrest, sometimes known as a perp walk, were mere distractions.
“We conduct arrests, the FBI conducts arrests at every courthouse in this country every single day of the year,” Blanche said, calling the rumors about Comey’s circumstances “gossip.”
“Mr. Comey has been directed to appear, and I expect that he will. But the noise from MSNBC and from retired agents or unnamed anonymous sources about perp walks is just that,” Blanche said. “It’s just noise.”
“If convicted, Comey faces up to five years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors,” the DOJ said.
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