US Department of Justice defends prosecution of Comey over seashell post

The ex-FBI chief faces accusations of transmitting threats and exploiting controversy to market his upcoming novel.The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has defended its prosecution of former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey after a social media post of seashells arranged in “86 47” was shared on Instagram last year.Federal prosecutors allege the post was a coded threat against US President Donald Trump.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Trump official-turned-foe John Bolton accepts plea deal in documents caselist 2 of 3Republicans clear Todd Blanche for top US Justice Department rolelist 3 of 3Trump admin probe into ABC amid Kimmel row sparks US free speech concernsend of list“There is no serious dispute that an objective viewer of Comey’s [social media] post could read it to mean ‘Kill President Trump’,” prosecutors wrote in court motions filed in federal court on Tuesday.Prosecutors also cast doubt on Comey’s account that he is the victim of “vindictive” and “selective” prosecution and that he just happened to find the seashells in the numerical arrangement of “86 47” while walking on a beach in North Carolina.The entry for “86” from ...