Associated Press reporter sees Comey in surprise second court appearance

Описание: (5 Nov 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Alexandria, Virginia - 5 November 2025
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++SOUNDBITE PARTIALLY COVERED++
1. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, The Associated Press:
"I was in court in Alexandria, Virginia, as former FBI Director James Comey made his second court appearance in a Justice Department case accusing him of lying to Congress five years ago. Comey sat at the defense table with his lawyers, but did not address the judge. One of the things that was really notable during the hearing was that the federal magistrate who has been involved in the case scolded prosecutors and ordered them to turn over a trove of materials to Comey and his defense team. He said he was concerned that the Justice Department had taken a posture of indicting first and investigate later. Obviously, that's not the way the system is supposed to work, and so that was an unusual admonition to hear."

ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARCHIVE: Washington - 7 December 2018
2. STILL Former FBI Director James Comey, arrives to testify under subpoena behind closed doors before the House Judiciary and Oversight Committee on Capitol Hill (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, ID 25280853875566)

ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARCHIVE: Washington - 3 May 2017
3. STILL FBI Director James Comey pauses as he testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, May 3, 2017, before the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing: "Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation." (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, ID 25268834593153)

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Alexandria, Virginia - 26 September 2025
4. Various of entrance to U.S. Attorney's office for the Eastern District of Virginia

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Alexandria, Virginia - 5 November 2025
5. Tilt down from the Albert V. Bryan U.S. Courthouse to a federal protective service police vehicle outside
6. Close of police vehicle with U.S. flag behind
7. Close of scales of justice statue outside courthouse with U.S. flag
++SOUNDBITE FULLY COVERED++
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, The Associated Press:
"The court wrangling is going to continue to go on. There are multiple other defense motions to dismiss the case and so we expect to see additional filings before a trial that's set to begin in January."
9. Pan to courthouse main entrance
10. Close of scales of justice statue outside courthouse
STORYLINE:
A federal judge on Wednesday ordered prosecutors in the criminal case of former FBI Director James Comey to produce a trove of materials from the investigation, saying he was concerned that the Justice Department’s position had been to “indict first and investigate later.”

Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick instructed prosecutors to produce by the end of the day on Thursday grand jury materials and other evidence that investigators seized during the investigation. The order followed arguments in which Comey’s attorneys said they were at a disadvantage because they had not been able to review materials that were gathered years ago.

Comey, who attended the hearing but did not speak, is charged with lying to Congress in 2020 in a case filed days after President Donald Trump appeared to urge his attorney general to prosecute the former FBI director and other perceived political enemies. He has pleaded not guilty, and his lawyers have argued that it’s a vindictive prosecution brought at the direction of the Republican president and must be dismissed.



Comey’s lawyers told the judge they had not reviewed the materials taken from Richman and thus could not know what information was privileged.

“We’re going to fix that, and we’re going to fix that today,” the judge said.





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