James Comey, former FBI Director, filed a motion on July 27, 2026, seeking dismissal of a federal indictment charging him with posting an Instagram photo of seashells spelling '86 47'. Prosecutors allege the post constituted a threat against President Trump. The motion was filed in the Eastern District of North Carolina.
“James Comey files motion seeking dismissal of seashell indictment”
Read at ABC News →“Comey moves to dismiss seashell case as ’86 47′ message was not a ‘true threat’”
Read at The Hill →No right-leaning sources covered this
The indictment exemplifies weaponization of prosecutorial power against a Trump critic through an attenuated reading of a single beach photo.
“Selective enforcement and chilling effect on political speech”
Comey's motion reflects elite accountability evasion by a former official central to prior investigations viewed as targeting Trump.
“Consistent application of law to those who wielded institutional power”
The case represents an attempt to criminalize ambiguous symbolic expression as a threat, stretching First Amendment boundaries.
“Risk of selective enforcement and erosion of protections for political speech”
All perspectives accept the premise that the seashell post constitutes a plausible true threat without examining evidentiary thinness or the future filing date.
“Shared failure to question whether facts support criminality versus manufactured spectacle”
Ratings by MBFC