Ex-FBI chief James Comey faces third prosecution attempt by Trump justice department

The US ‌justice department is attempting to prosecute former FBI director James Comey for a third time.

The latest ‌case accuses him of sharing sensitive national security information in 2016, according to court documents made public on ​Monday.

The case was revealed in a court document known as a ‘criminal information’ that the justice department said it filed to stop the 10-year statute of limitations on the alleged offence from expiring earlier this ​month.

The document filed in Washington federal court charges Comey with transmitting and conspiring to transmit national defence information. ⁠It alleges he shared classified information with a reporter from the New York ‌Times ‌in ​October 2016.

Comey said in a video on Instagram that “they’re back again” and referenced the justice department, but did not provide further ⁠details. “I’m still innocent,” he ​added.

Comey’s lawyers have already asked a judge ​to dismiss the case, arguing it is legally improper.

“I think he’s a dirty cop,” ‌president Donald Trump told reporters at Joint ​Base Andrews, Maryland, when asked about Comey. “I don’t know much about it,” he ⁠said.

The new case adds to ⁠the legal fights ​facing Comey, whom the justice department has already charged twice, accusing him of lying to Congress about media leaks and threatening Trump in a social media post.

A judge dismissed the false statements case, while the threats case remains pending.

Comey’s lawyer, Patrick Fitzgerald, said in a statement that the document “purports to charge Mr Comey with crimes that he did not commit”.

The criminal ‌information was filed on ⁠October 5th but was unsealed on Monday at the request of Comey’s lawyers.

A justice department spokesperson described the manoeuvre to halt the statute of ‌limitations as a “widely recognised practice in federal court”.

“This is an ongoing criminal investigation, and we will ​not comment further,” the spokesperson said in a statement. – Reuters