Jacob Sullum says the decision to charge Comey now stinks of desperation to slake Trump's thirst for revenge
Jacob SullumSenior editor at Reason, writing an opinion column
Writing in Reason, Jacob Sullum says that because two earlier investigations of the same disclosure ended without charges, the decision to charge Comey now stinks of desperation to satisfy Trump's desire for revenge.
“Given the outcomes of those two investigations, the decision to charge Comey now stinks of desperation to slake Trump's thirst for revenge.”
Analysis
Where this statement fits
DOJ charges James Comey with disclosing national defense information in 2016; Comey says he is innocent
On October 26, 2026, a federal judge in Washington unsealed a criminal information that prosecutors filed on October 5, charging former FBI Director James Comey with transmitting national defense information to a person not entitled to receive it and with conspiracy. The charges concern an October 5, 2016, New York Times article. Comey says he is innocent and calls the case an abuse of the Justice Department, and his lawyers argue the charges are time barred because no grand jury indictment was obtained. The Justice Department says filing an information to pause the limitations period is a widely recognized practice.
Source and context
Analysis
About this source
Opinion column by Reason senior editor Jacob Sullum on the third federal case against Comey.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Sullum writes that beginning in March 2017, John Durham, the U.S. attorney for the District of Connecticut, looked into the genesis of the Times article. According to Comey's lawyers, Durham recommended no prosecution, and a later investigation by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia closed without charges in February 2020.
After the quotation
He writes that, according to Comey's lawyers, the tardiness of the charges also fatally undermines the case, because they argue the extended ten-year limit applies only to a grand jury indictment.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The case concerns the Justice Department's new charges against Comey. Sullum writes that charging him after two earlier investigations declined to do so reflects a desire for revenge, which condemns the prosecution under scrutiny.
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- United States Department of Justice, Donald Trump
More from this case
Read the full caseTrump calls Comey a dirty cop and says he knows nothing about the new case
“I think he's a dirty cop, James Comey. But I know nothing about it.”Read statement
Justice Department spokesperson says filing an information to toll the statute of limitations is a widely recognized practice
United States Department of Justice
“Filing a criminal information to toll the statute of limitations is a widely recognized practice in federal court and has been approved by multiple Circuit Courts of Appeals.”Read statement
Comey says he is still innocent and still believes in the independent federal judiciary
“Nothing's changed with me. I'm still innocent. I'm still not afraid of these people, and I still believe in the independent federal judiciary”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Jacob Sullum says the decision to charge Comey now stinks of desperation to slake Trump's thirst for revenge". First published: 2026-10-29. Last updated: 2026-10-29. https://disputeindex.com/events/7201-writing-in-reason-jacob-sullum-says-that-because