Justice Department James Comey

Former FBI Director James Comey is urging a judge to throw out federal charges against him. He's arguing that a photo of seashells arranged on a beach he posted on social media was not a call to violence against President Donald Trump but protected political speech. Comey’s lawyers argue the government cannot prove the Instagram photo of seashells in the numerical arrangement of “86 47” constituted a “true threat” against the Republican president, who fired Comey in 2017 and has publicly called for his prosecution. The seashells case against Comey was the second in months targeting the ex-FBI director, a long-running Trump foe.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal officials involved in the prosecution of James Comey misled judges…

The Justice Department is defending its prosecution of former FBI Director James Comey, saying there's "no serious dispute” that a social media post of seashells he made could be understood as a threat against President Donald Trump. Prosecutors also call into question Comey’s account that he found the seashells in the numerical arrangement “86 47” while walking on a North Carolina beach. Trump is the 47th president. Prosecutors suggest Comey's post on Instagram last year was a thinly veiled attempt to sell copies of a novel about a social media personality whose words inspire his fans to attack his foes. Comey's lawyers have tried to dismiss the case.