{"id":3333,"date":"2026-06-26T22:35:30","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T22:35:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=3333"},"modified":"2026-06-26T22:35:30","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T22:35:30","slug":"court-order-advances-james-comey-case-could-it-reveal-prosecutors-evidence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=3333","title":{"rendered":"Court order advances James Comey case. Could it reveal prosecutors\u2019 evidence?"},"content":{"rendered":"

AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.<\/p>\n

Read our AI Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n

A federal judge approved an order Wednesday that could give former FBI Director James Comey his first access to evidence that prosecutors say will prove he threatened President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n

Read more A stinging ant has invaded NC, and its bite can be deadly. How to ID it<\/a><\/p>\n

The order could help answer a lingering question since Comey\u2019s April indictment: What evidence do prosecutors have beyond an Instagram post showing seashells arranged to read \u201c86 47\u201d?<\/p>\n

\u201cRest assured that it\u2019s not just the Instagram post that leads somebody to get indicted,\u201d Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche<\/a> said in a May television interview.<\/p>\n

The order, signed by U.S. District Judge Louise Flanagan, governs how evidence can be shared and used by the defense.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt means they probably haven\u2019t shared any of that information yet and will now that the order has been signed,\u201d said Scott Holmes<\/a>, a law professor at N.C. Central University.<\/p>\n

The order, filed in the federal Eastern District of North Carolina<\/a>, limits what Comey and his attorneys can do with the evidence they are provided.<\/p>\n

\u201cDiscovery material provided by the United States may be utilized by the defendant solely in connection with the litigation of this matter, including, among other things, preparation for trial, witness interviews, court filings, motion practice, sentencing (if any), appellate review (if any), and collateral attack (if any) of this case,\u201d the order states.<\/p>\n

Holmes described the order as generally routine but noted that it applies to all discovery materials rather than creating a process for designating only certain documents confidential.<\/p>\n

While the order keeps the evidence from the public, Comey\u2019s attorneys could still make some of it public through motions, Holmes said.<\/p>\n

Sometimes defense attorneys use motions to get information to the public, Holmes said, but they may still need to confer with the government to determine whether material should be filed under seal to comply with a protective order.<\/p>\n

On May 15, 2025, Comey posted on Instagram<\/a> a photo of seashells on a North Carolina beach arranged to read \u201c86 47.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trump supporters alleged the numbers were a threat to kill the 47th president, and Comey took the post down, saying he wasn\u2019t aware of the violent connotation.<\/p>\n

Read more Mary-Dell Chilton, NC biochemist who revolutionized agriculture, dies at 87<\/a><\/p>\n

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines 86 as ejecting, dismissing, or removing a person from a place, or an item from a menu.<\/p>\n

Federal officials immediately began investigating the alleged threat, according to a motion filed by a prosecutor seeking the protective order.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe government has compiled discovery in this matter, with the government\u2019s investigation beginning on May 15, 2025, and continuing thereafter,\u201d Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo<\/a> wrote in the motion.<\/p>\n

The motion, filed just before the protective order Wednesday, states that prosecutors consulted with Comey\u2019s legal team, which consented to the proposed order.<\/p>\n

The evidence includes documents that contain \u201cpersonal identity information of third-party witnesses,\u201d the filing states.<\/p>\n

On April 28, a federal North Carolina grand jury indicted Come<\/a>y on two felonies, accusing him of threatening the president with the post.<\/p>\n

Comey\u2019s attorneys are expected to argue the charges should be dismissed on constitutional grounds, including First Amendment protections.<\/p>\n

They may also raise arguments about selective or vindictive prosecution. Comey\u2019s team filed a similar motion challenging 2025 charges in Virginia.<\/a><\/p>\n

Under the current schedule, attorneys\u2019 motions are due July 28. Comey\u2019s arraignment, a hearing in which he would plead guilty or not guilty, is set for 10 a.m. Sept. 30 at the federal courthouse in New Bern.<\/p>\n

If the case proceeds to a jury trial, it is scheduled to begin Oct. 21, also in New Bern, where Flanagan is based.<\/p>\n

Read more NC lawmaker\u2019s bill on reporting flaws in AI advances. How would it work?<\/a><\/p>\n

This story was originally published June 25, 2026 at 5:30 AM.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A federal judge approved a protective order governing evidence in the criminal case against James Comey, outlining how discovery materials can be used.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3332,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3333","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-read-todays-edition"],"yoast_head":"\nCourt order advances James Comey case. 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