{"id":2597339,"date":"2026-04-30T19:13:01","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T23:13:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doj-weighs-new-classified-leak-charges-against-comey-report\/"},"modified":"2026-04-30T19:16:30","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T23:16:30","slug":"doj-weighs-new-classified-leak-charges-against-comey-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doj-weighs-new-classified-leak-charges-against-comey-report\/","title":{"rendered":"DOJ weighs new classified leak charges against Comey: Report"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdoj-weighs-new-classified-leak-charges-against-comey-report%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2597339&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The U.S. Justice Department is reportedly weighing whether to bring a new round of criminal charges against former FBI Director James Comey over alleged classified-details leaks. Prosecutors in the Eastern district of Virginia have revived a previously shelved investigation focused on his handling of sensitive materials and his dealings with Daniel Richman, a long-time confidant who received documents that later informed media reporting.<\/p>\n<p>The case would be the third attempt to indict Comey since last fall, with internal discussions underway about whether to present charges to a grand jury and where any indictment should be filed-possibly in Virginia (where Comey lives) or New york (where Richman is based). No final decision has been made. <\/p>\n<p>This progress comes shortly after Comey was indicted in North Carolina in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-ask-judge-amir-ali-to-block-trump-fec-order-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Democrats ask Judge Amir Ali to block Trump FEC order - Washington Examiner\">separate matter involving<\/a> his \u201c86 47\u201d social media post, which prosecutors characterized as a threat against President Donald Trump. The renewed Virginia inquiry traces back to Comey\u2019s tenure at the FBI, including disclosures of memorandums to Richman and related communications that prosecutors have used in earlier cases to challenge Comey\u2019s testimony to Congress. <\/p>\n<p>Richman\u2019s role has also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-ice-nominee-took-trip-to-china-funded-by-cash-for-visas-advocacy-group\/\" title=\"Biden ICE Nominee Took Trip to China Funded by Cash-for-Visas Advocacy Group\">raised additional concerns<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >including potential issues involving attorney-client privilege<\/a> and conflicts, given his involvement as both an information conduit and, at one point, Comey\u2019s legal representative. A prior attempt to prosecute Comey in Virginia ended unsuccessfully when a judge dismissed charges related to alleged false statements to congress, though the DOJ is appealing. Comey has said he is still \u201cinnocent,\u201d and he appeared in Virginia court this week amid ongoing legal challenges.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p>The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/department-of-justice\/\">Justice Department<\/a> is examining whether to bring a fresh round of criminal charges against former <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/fbi\/\">FBI<\/a> Director <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/james-comey\/\">James Comey<\/a> tied to alleged leaks of classified information, according to a new report citing two sources familiar with the matter.<\/p>\n<p>Prosecutors in the Eastern District of Virginia have in recent weeks revived a previously dormant investigation into Comey\u2019s handling of sensitive materials and his interactions with <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/1135527\/professor-who-leaked-comey-memos-to-media-was-special-government-employee-for-fbi\/\">Daniel Richman<\/a>, a longtime confidant who received documents that later informed media reporting. The inquiry had been reviewed and set aside last year but is now back in active circulation amid internal discussions about whether to seek an indictment, <em>Bloomberg <\/em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2026-04-30\/trump-doj-pursuing-separate-comey-probe-for-classified-leaks?embedded-checkout=true\">reported<\/a> on Thursday.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4550367\/sheinbaum-demands-evidence-to-extradite-mexican-officials-cartel-ties\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Sheinbaum demands evidence before extraditing Mexican officials to US over cartel ties<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4549242\/trump-appeal-e-jean-carroll-case-denied\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump\u2019s latest appeal in E. Jean Carroll case denied as requests seem more likely to reach Supreme Court<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4549057\/doj-takes-aim-clunky-gun-regulations-atf-robert-cekada-confirmation\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>DOJ takes aim at \u2018clunky\u2019 gun regulations after ATF chief Robert Cekada confirmation<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and former FBI Director James Comey. (AP Photos)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>If charges move forward, it would represent the third time federal prosecutors have sought to indict Comey since last fall, an aggressive posture that has accelerated since <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/todd-blanche\/\">Todd Blanche<\/a> took over as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/attorney-lin-wood-defends-ag-bill-barr-after-announces-he-is-stepping-down-trump-voters-respond\/\" title=\"Attorney Lin Wood Defends AG Bill Barr After Announces He Is Stepping Down \u2014 Trump Voters Respond\">acting attorney general<\/a>. People familiar with the matter described a series of recent meetings involving senior DOJ leadership and a small group of Virginia-based prosecutors focused on the classified information angle.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>No final decision has been made on whether to present the case to a grand jury, <em>Bloomberg<\/em> reported. Officials are also weighing where any charges would be filed, with possible venues including <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/virginia\/\">Virginia<\/a>, where Comey resides, or <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/new-york\/\">New York<\/a>, where Richman is based.<\/p>\n<p>The renewed inquiry comes just days after Comey was indicted in the Eastern District of <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/north-carolina\/\">North Carolina<\/a> over a separate case tied to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4546191\/james-comey-indicted-second-time-report\/\">his \u201c86 47\u201d<\/a> social media post, which prosecutors characterized as a threat against President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">Donald Trump<\/a>. The charging document alleges a criminal threat against a president and transmitting threats in interstate commerce. If convicted, Comey faces up to 10 years in prison.<\/p>\n<p>The Virginia investigation traces back to Comey\u2019s disclosure of memos and related materials to Richman during his tenure as FBI director, some of which became the basis for a 2017 <em>New York Times <\/em>article. Trump has repeatedly accused Comey of acting as a leaker, a claim that has remained central to political and legal debates surrounding his conduct after leaving office.<\/p>\n<p>The relationship between Comey and Richman is not incidental to the case \u2014 it was central to the government\u2019s theory in its indictment of Comey last fall. According to a declassified FBI memorandum, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3868105\/role-of-comey-confidant-center-of-doj-leak-case\/\">previously released<\/a> by Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/chuck-grassley\/\">Chuck Grassley<\/a> (R-IA), Comey personally arranged for Richman to be designated a Special Government Employee, giving him access to classified information despite operating outside the bureau\u2019s formal chain of command. That structure allowed Comey to communicate sensitive information through a trusted intermediary.<\/p>\n<p>Those same records indicate Richman was used as a conduit to shape media narratives during the politically volatile period surrounding the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/hillary-clinton\/\">Hillary Clinton<\/a> email investigation, which Comey concluded without recommending criminal charges despite finding Clinton and her team were \u201cextremely careless\u201d in their handling of sensitive and classified information.<\/p>\n<p>In particular, investigators examined how Richman interacted with reporters following Comey\u2019s decision to publicly announce the FBI\u2019s conclusions from the Clinton investigation in 2016, including references to disputed intelligence involving then\u2013Attorney General <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/loretta-lynch\/\">Loretta Lynch<\/a>. In the indictment against Comey from last September, these interactions were directly relevant to whether Comey later gave truthful testimony to Congress about authorizing leaks.<\/p>\n<p>That issue has been amplified by evidence drawn from the FBI\u2019s 2017 leak inquiry, codenamed <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3912012\/doj-fights-major-obstacle-bring-new-case-against-james-comey\/\">Arctic Haze<\/a>, which prosecutors have increasingly relied on in related cases. Materials from that investigation, including communications involving Richman, have been cited to challenge Comey\u2019s sworn 2020 testimony that he never authorized anyone to serve as an anonymous source for the media, and they were central to the September indictment.<\/p>\n<p>Richman\u2019s dual role as both a recipient of information and, at one point, Comey\u2019s legal representative has also raised additional questions about privilege and possible conflicts.<\/p>\n<p>That earlier attempt to prosecute Comey in Virginia ended unsuccessfully last year when a judge <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3897002\/james-comey-letitia-james-indictments-tossed-lindsey-halligan\/\">dismissed charges<\/a> alleging he made false statements to Congress about his interactions with the media. The DOJ is still appealing that ruling, which was procedural and not related to the strength of the evidence against Comey.<\/p>\n<p>Comey, who declared Tuesday that he is \u201cstill innocent,\u201d appeared in court in Virginia this week in connection with his growing list of legal battles, accompanied by family members, including his daughter, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3473859\/doj-fires-maurene-comey-james-daughter-epstein-prosecutor\/\">Maurene Comey<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4547292\/james-comey-posts-video-in-response-to-new-doj-indictment\/\">JAMES COMEY POSTS VIDEO IN RESPONSE TO NEW INDICTMENT<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Patrice Failor, wife of former FBI Director James Comey, center, holds hands with her daughter, Claire Comey, left, as they leave the federal courthouse in Alexandria, Va., Wednesday, April 29, 2026. (AP Photo\/Kevin Wolf)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>His daughter\u2019s public appearance came shortly after a judge allowed her lawsuit challenging her dismissal from the U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office for the Southern District of New York to move forward, adding a parallel legal track involving the Comey family.<\/p>\n<p>A DOJ representative declined to comment on the record about the status of the investigation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>DOJ may file new charges against ex-FBI chief Comey over alleged classified leaks<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2633,"featured_media":2597340,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/AP17079578236319.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[78898,23264,32631,33600,35580],"class_list":["post-2597339","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-classified-leaks","tag-comey","tag-federal-prosecutors","tag-justice-department","tag-legal-charges"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/AP17079578236319.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2597339","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2633"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2597339"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2597339\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2597343,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2597339\/revisions\/2597343"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2597340"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2597339"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2597339"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2597339"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}