An FBI agent has been placed on suspension after declining to participate in what was described as a planned “perp walk” for the bureau’s former director, James Comey, according to reports from multiple U.S. media outlets.
CBS News, citing FBI sources, said the agent was disciplined for insubordination after objecting to the plan, which they reportedly viewed as inappropriate and unnecessary. The incident comes just days after President Donald Trump publicly urged law enforcement officials to intensify investigations into several of his political opponents, including Comey.
Comey was indicted in Virginia on two federal counts following those remarks. CBS reported that FBI officials discussed the possibility of sending “large, beefy” agents in Kevlar vests to escort Comey during his upcoming arraignment in Alexandria, Virginia. The BBC said it reached out to the FBI for comment but has not received a response.
A “perp walk” typically involves authorities parading a suspect or defendant before cameras while being escorted by officers, a practice often used in high-profile criminal cases in the United States.
Comey is scheduled to appear in federal court on October 9, where he will be formally arraigned on charges of lying to Congress and obstructing a congressional investigation.
Prosecutors allege that Comey misled a Senate committee in 2020 regarding whether he personally authorized the release of classified information to the media.
Comey, who led the FBI during politically charged investigations into both Russian election interference in 2016 and Hillary Clinton’s private email server, has flatly denied the accusations. He said he has “great confidence in the federal judicial system.”
If convicted, the former FBI director could face a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
Comey’s removal from his post in 2017 by President Trump occurred while the bureau was investigating alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election. That probe ultimately concluded that there was no coordination between the Trump campaign and Moscow. Since his dismissal, Comey has remained one of Trump’s most vocal critics — and a frequent target of the president’s attacks.
The indictment against Comey was reportedly filed just before the five-year statute of limitations expired. It came shortly after Trump appointed a new chief federal prosecutor for the region, Lindsey Halligan, who had previously served as his personal attorney.
Trump had publicly voiced irritation that “nothing is being done” to hold his rivals accountable. He urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to pursue investigations into Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Senator Adam Schiff, who led Trump’s first impeachment trial.
“We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility,” Trump wrote on social media.
It remains unclear whether the FBI intends to follow through with the heavily choreographed “perp walk.” Sources familiar with the case indicated that Comey’s attorneys are arranging to accompany him to court — a standard procedure for defendants in non-violent cases.
{Matzav.com}
