Matthew Petracca signed the indictment against James Comey and was later removed from the case and at least three others, with Timothy Severo assigned as replacement. The case, filed in North Carolina in April 2026 over a 2025 Instagram post, is scheduled for trial in October. Multiple outlets reported the docket change via court papers filed May 29, 2026.
“Lead prosecutor leaves DOJ's case accusing James Comey of threatening Trump”
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The removal underscores erratic and potentially retaliatory prosecution of Comey over a 2025 Instagram post interpreted as a threat.
“Weaponization of justice against critics of the Trump administration”
Personnel changes reflect efforts to pursue accountability against a figure from the Russia investigation era.
“Long-overdue pushback against institutional actors who targeted Trump”
Docket shifts highlight fragility of consistent justice standards and risks of selective enforcement.
“Unpredictable prosecutorial discretion eroding protected expression”
All sides overinterpret routine personnel changes as diagnostic of political motives while ignoring ordinary bureaucratic explanations.
“Personnel churn alone cannot distinguish between rotation and anything more sinister”
Ratings by MBFC