The courtroom drama surrounding James Comey just took a sharp turn. A federal judge in North Carolina has conditionally agreed to cancel his scheduled May 11 court appearance – but only if Comey signs a waiver.
Comey had already made an initial appearance in Alexandria, Virginia, last week on charges stemming from his now-infamous Instagram post. His legal team argued that federal rules only require one initial appearance, not two.
The Justice Department backed Comey’s request, smoothing the path for the cancellation. Judge Louise Flanagan, appointed by George W. Bush, gave Comey until Friday to file the formal waiver. If he doesn’t, the hearing goes forward as planned.
This isn’t a simple procedural hiccup. The charges are explosive – two felony counts that stem from a single social media post. First, knowingly threatening to take the life of the President. Second, transmitting that threat across state lines.
The post in question: a photo of a shell formation on a beach, with the caption “Cool shell formation on my beach walk.” But the numbers “86 47” are far from innocent. In mob slang, “86” means kill. “47” targets the 47th president – Donald Trump.
President Trump didn’t mince words: “’86’ is a mob term for ‘kill him.’ They say 86 him! 86 47 means ‘kill President Trump.’ James Comey, who is a Dirty Cop, one of the worst, knows this full well!”
Comey was indicted by a grand jury in the Eastern District of North Carolina. He now faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. But the government isn’t stopping at prison time – they want his money.
Federal prosecutors have issued a forfeiture notice targeting profits from Comey’s forthcoming book, “Red Verdict.” They believe the threat was posted deliberately to boost book sales. The indictment explicitly states that any proceeds traceable to the offense must be forfeited to the United States.
Comey’s attorneys have offered to execute whatever waiver the court requires to avoid the May 11 hearing. His arrest in Alexandria already signaled the gravity of the situation, and this case is far from finished.
