Justice Department agrees to appearance waiver for Comey

By Alan Wooten
The Center Square

Former FBI Director James Comey on Thursday requested his appearance in a North Carolina federal court be canceled, and the U.S. Department of Justice gave support.

Comey, resident of Virginia, has already surrendered and appeared before a judge in his home state. He is facing two federal counts of threats against the president and has been scheduled for a Monday appearance in downtown Greenville.

Comey’s expected filing on Friday of a waiver of appearance will cancel the Monday court date, said District Judge Louise Wood Flanagan. A protest previously planned by 50501, an organization unified against second-term Republican President Donald Trump, is not listed in its respective events’ log.

In May 2025, prosecutors say, Comey posted to social media seashells on the Outer Banks arranged to spell out 86 47 – a commonly interpreted reference for eliminating something (86) and the numerical count (47) of presidents.

Comey was FBI director in the administration of former two-term Democratic President Barack Obama, serving from July 29, 2013, to May 9, 2017, when Trump fired him. His Senate confirmation was 93-1.

Comey was infamously investigating Trump ties to the Russian government when he was let go.

Comey was deputy attorney general to John Ashcroft during the administration of former two-term Republican President George W. Bush. His career outside of politics includes law professor at Columbia, and time with Lockheed Martin and Bridgewater Associates.