James Comey is interviewed on “Good Morning America,” May 18, 2026.ABC News
Former FBI head James Comey, during a segment on "Good Morning America" this Monday, stood by his claims of innocence after being charged by the Trump Justice Department a second time and criticized the administration's proposal to establish an "anti-weaponization" allocation for allies of the president.
Comey conveyed to George Stephanopoulos of ABC News that he couldn’t delve into specifics regarding the accusations against him, but asserted: "I am not only not culpable, I am blameless, and I have exceptional lawyers who are also companions, so we will give it our all in court. And I am optimistic about it."
A federal jury in North Carolina formally accused Comey the previous month due to a divisive Instagram post from 2025 showcasing the figures "86 47" etched in shells on the sand with the caption, "Neat shell pattern on my beach stroll."
Referring to the idiomatic usage of "86" as meaning to "reject" or "remove" something, President Donald Trump and his supporters contend that the post constituted a disguised menace targeting the 47th president. Comey has declared he had no awareness that the post could be linked to aggression. His legal representatives have suggested plans to submit a motion accusing the Justice Department of selective and punitive prosecution of Comey.
Federal prosecutors introduced this matter after an earlier indictment on separate accusations was dismissed by a judge last autumn. That indictment occurred merely days after Trump openly instructed his Justice Department to take action "immediately" to initiate legal proceedings against Comey and other political adversaries.
James Comey is interviewed on “Good Morning America,” May 18, 2026.ABC News
Maurene Comey, Comey’s daughter, is taking legal action against the Justice Department for wrongful dismissal subsequent to her firing the previous year from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.
Stephanopoulos from ABC questioned Comey regarding the options accessible to him and his family in response to the Trump administration's targeting.
"We can make use of the remaining sound aspect of the American system, which is the federal judiciary," Comey stated. "Thus, my daughter is suing them to demonstrate that one cannot dismiss a career employee without justification, and naturally, I'm defending myself, successfully in the prior instance, and I have this current one in North Carolina concerning seashells."
Comey, who was present on "Good Morning America" to promote his latest book "Red Verdict," also addressed an ABC News story indicating that Trump intends to withdraw his $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service in return for the establishment of a $1.776 billion fund to reimburse allies who allege unjust targeting by the Biden government.
"What are your thoughts on that?" Stephanopoulos inquired of Comey.
"Indeed, if I included it in my subsequent book, I am certain my editor would remove it, deeming it absurd," Comey commented. "It simply cannot be our modus operandi. We cannot institute a multi-million dollar ATM at Mar-a-Lago for individuals who have perpetrated offenses. That is simply not who we are. It doesn't align with our principles. Ultimately, the Department of Justice will rectify itself, but we are going to have to endure a trying two years."
Later that Monday, subsequent to Comey’s feature on “Good Morning America,” legal representatives acting on behalf of Trump notified a federal judge via a court submission that the president is abandoning the $10 billion legal action against the IRS. The court submission from Monday makes no reference to the compensation pool or any discussions about a settlement.
The Justice Department subsequently declared “as part of the settlement agreement” in the IRS matter, that the attorney general had formed “The Anti-Weaponization Fund” with the intention to "deliver a methodical avenue to examine and rectify the grievances of other parties who endured weaponization and lawfare."
Sourse: abcnews.go.com