A federal grand jury issued a subpoena on Monday to Daniel Richman, a longtime friend and legal adviser to former FBI Director James Comey, as part of a newly opened Justice Department investigation into whether Comey leaked classified information to the New York Times, multiple law enforcement sources told Fox News Digital.
The probe revives a leak inquiry first pursued during President Donald Trump’s first term, which was shut down after Joe Biden took office. It runs alongside a separate, already-pending case against Comey stemming from his “86 47” Instagram post, which prosecutors have characterized as a threat against Trump.
Richman, a law professor and Comey’s former attorney, was a central figure in the original 2018 leak investigation. He was later indicted on charges tied to allegedly communicating with reporters about the FBI’s investigations into 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, while serving as a special FBI employee.
Richman had also sued the government, arguing that federal prosecutors violated his Fourth Amendment rights when they seized material from his electronic devices during searches conducted in 2019 and 2020. A federal judge in Washington, D.C., ruled in his favor in that suit in December.
Prosecutors had relied on files from those seizures to indict Comey on charges of making false statements and obstructing Congress, in connection with his 2020 testimony about FBI officials anonymously providing information to news outlets.
Separate case over Instagram post continues
The new subpoena arrives as Comey separately fights federal charges tied to his “86 47” Instagram post. He faces two counts and up to 10 years in prison in that case, though the original prosecutor assigned to it resigned in early June.
When the two-count indictment for threatening the president and transmitting a threat in interstate commerce was announced on April 28, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the charges.
“Threatening the life of the President of the United States is a grave violation of our nation’s laws,” Blanche said. “The grand jury returned an indictment alleging James Comey did just that, at a time when this country has witnessed violent incitement followed by deadly actions against President Trump and other elected officials. The temperature needs to be turned down, and anyone who dials it up and threatens the life of the President will be held accountable.”
Blanche is expected to testify before lawmakers as scrutiny of the Justice Department’s handling of both matters continues.
