James Comey, the former FBI director, has been indicted on two charges|CSIS|CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Former FBI Director James Comey pleaded not guilty on Wednesday in a federal court in Virginia to charges of making false statements and obstructing a congressional proceeding.
Comey’s attorney, Patrick Fitzgerald, waived reading of the indictment and requested a jury trial.
The charges follow a campaign by President Donald Trump, who publicly urged prosecutors to act against Comey after firing him in his first term.
Comey became a target after helping trigger Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into whether Russia interfered in the 2016 election that Trump won.
Comey’s trial is set for January 5 and is expected to last two to three days.
His legal team plans motions challenging the prosecution as vindictive and the appointment of Trump’s former lawyer, Lindsey Halligan, as US attorney.