Republican lawmakers want to translate their wrath over James Comey’s stunning social media post concerning President Donald Trump into a tangible step against the former FBI director.
Last week, Comey posted on Instagram and then deleted an arrangement of seashells that read “8647.” Because 86 is a slang term for getting rid of someone — often with some sense of finality — something Comey has claimed he did not know, the post was widely read as a call for removing Trump from office.
Trump fired Comey during his first term, leading the former FBI chief to be a vocal anti-Trump figure.
Trump said he does not buy Comey’s explanation.
“He knew exactly what that meant. A child knows what that meant. If you’re the FBI director and you don’t know what that meant, that meant assassination,” Trump said, according to ABC.
In response, members of the House Republican Study Committee have introduced a resolution ensuring Comey never returns to federal service, according to Just the News.
The proposed resolution “urges the relevant authorities to take every relevant action to ensure that [Comey] is never again permitted to serve as an employee of the federal government.”
The resolution calls on the Justice Department to “conduct[s] a full and comprehensive investigation” into the social media post, “and release the findings of that investigation to the relevant House Committees and the public.”
Study Committee Chairman Rep. August Pfluger of Texas and Republican Rep. Laurel Leeof Florida explained the resolution in a statement on Pfluger’s website.
“The deranged and reckless social media post from former FBI Director James Comey represents a shocking betrayal of the trust once placed in him by the American people,” Pfluger said.
“Having failed in his attempts to take down President Trump as one of the main architects of the Russia collusion hoax, Comey has now resorted to the unthinkable: calling for violence against our Commander-in-Chief. That someone who once held one of our nation’s most sacred positions of law enforcement would incite such dangerous rhetoric is not just alarming—it’s disqualifying and un-American,” he added.
“This resolution demands the accountability and transparency the American people deserve, ensuring Comey never again holds a position of public trust. We cannot and will not allow former officials to weaponize their influence and fan the flames of division,” Pfluger continued.
Lee said Comey was “engaging in rhetoric that carries an implicit threat against President Trump.”
“As a former federal prosecutor and judge, I take this seriously. When a former high-ranking law enforcement official invokes language associated with elimination—’86’—in a public post referencing President Trump, it raises legitimate concerns under federal statutes that prohibit threats against presidents and incitement to violence,” Less said.
“That’s why I’m introducing a resolution to make clear that James Comey should never again hold a position of public trust in the United States Government, and to formally urge the Department of Justice to investigate whether his conduct violates applicable laws,” Lee said.
Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino said he and Director Kash Patel are cleaning up the mess Comey made of the FBI, according to a post on X.
“FBI Director James Comey brought shame to the FBI badge, yet again, this past week. The Director and I spend an inordinate amount of time cleaning up messes left behind by former Director Comey. And his latest actions are no exception,” he posted.
“As I’ve stated in the past, I cannot post openly about all the things the Director and I are doing to reform the enterprise, but I assure you, they are happening. Sadly, many of those agenda items are the result of former Director Comey’s poor decision-making and atrocious leadership. And to those who doubt me, I assure you, when you see what the Director and I see from the inside, it’s even worse,” Bongino wrote.
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