Comey Defends Seashell Post as Political Speech | US News

Former FBI Director James Comey is defiantly fighting federal charges that his Instagram post of seashells arranged as “eighty-six forty-seven” was a death threat against President Trump. His legal team argues the government can’t prove intent, pointing out the phrase is a widely recognized political slogan meaning “get rid of,” commonly seen on protest signs. They claim the case is an effort to silence a vocal critic and violates the First Amendment, especially since Comey himself opposed violence and removed the post after realizing its potential misinterpretation. The indictment accuses him of knowingly transmitting a threat across state lines, but prosecutors haven’t revealed their evidence of intent — despite Trump’s claim Comey knew exactly what the numbers meant. Comey’s lawyers counter that even if the message could be read as violent, a reasonable person would see it as political hyperbole, citing Supreme Court precedent that has protected similar speech. This isn’t the first legal battle for Comey, who previously won dismissal of a lying-to-congress charge due to improper prosecutorial appointment. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/f041288a3beb3acd