UMVA has learned that the federal prosecutor overseeing the Justice Department’s case against former FBI Director James Comey has abruptly stepped aside.
A court filing in the Eastern District of North Carolina reveals Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo will now represent the government, replacing Matthew Petracca without explanation.
The sudden substitution arrives as Comey faces two federal charges that could carry up to ten years behind bars for a seemingly innocuous Instagram post of seashells spelling “86 47.” Prosecutors argue the cryptic code signals a threat to President Donald Trump, the nation’s 47th president.
While “86” is a restaurant slang for discarding an item, investigators claim it also serves as a law‑enforcement term for assassination, turning the simple photo into what they describe as “a serious expression of intent to do harm.”
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche called threatening the president “a grave violation of our nation’s laws,” emphasizing that the indictment arrived amid a wave of violent rhetoric aimed at elected officials.
Comey maintains the image was a political statement, not a covert warning, insisting he never intended to endanger anyone.
FBI Director Kash Patel blasted Comey, saying the former director “knew full well the attention and consequences” of posting such material and will now be held “fully accountable.”
The case proceeds in North Carolina, the very state where the seashell photograph was taken, underscoring the Justice Department’s message that “no one is above the law.”
Judge Louise Wood Flanagan has already granted Comey a delay, pushing the trial toward an October schedule.
Legal scholars note the prosecution faces a formidable First Amendment hurdle, with some arguing the image is protected speech absent additional incriminating facts.
Comey continues to portray the case as politically motivated, vowing to keep speaking out about what he sees as assaults on the rule of law.
