Former FBI Director James Comey charged with two felonies over Instagram post: What did he share?

Former FBI Director James Comey has been indicted on charges of threatening the life of U.S. President Donald Trump over a social media post he shared last year.

Comey posted on Instagram showing seashells arranged to form the numbers “86 47.” The slang term “eighty-six” is commonly used to mean “eject” or “remove.” Trump is the 47th president of the United States.

Comey deleted the post shortly after it went up, saying, “I assumed the sea shells were a political message and was unaware of the violent connotation some associate with the numbers.”

"I didn't realise some folks associate those numbers with violence," Comey said, adding, "It never occurred to me but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down."

However, Trump appeared unconvinced with his explanation and replied, “A child knows what that meant.”

Both felony counts carry a maximum prison sentence of 10 years each.

This is not the first time Comey has faced federal charges under the Trump administration. The Justice Department charged him in September with lying to Congress over press leaks. A federal judge dismissed that case two months later, ruling that the prosecutor who brought the charges was improperly appointed.

Comey had earlier predicted that Trump could come after him following the Republican candidate’s win in the 2024 presidential elections.

US Secret Service agents interviewed Comey last May regarding the seashell photo. The White House referred inquiries about the new charges to the Justice Department.