The long-awaited moment arrived this week when former FBI Director James Comey was formally indicted by a federal grand jury, a development that proves no one—no matter how well-connected—should stand above the law. For years Comey operated with impunity while wielding the immense power of the FBI to shape political outcomes, and many Americans will see this as overdue accountability for his actions.
Prosecutors handed down two counts: one for making false statements to Congress and another for obstruction of a congressional proceeding, both tied to testimony Comey gave in 2020 about leaks and his handling of high-profile investigations. The indictment alleges Comey misled senators about whether he authorized an FBI employee to be an anonymous source, an accusation that, if true, undermines public trust in the FBI’s supposed neutrality.
This case did not arise in a vacuum; it followed the resignation of interim U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert after he concluded the evidence did not support charges, and the hurried appointment of Lindsey Halligan as his replacement—an appointment that has raised legitimate questions about politicized decision-making at the Department of Justice. Americans have a right to demand that prosecutors be independent and experienced, not political loyalists parachuted in to satisfy headlines.
President Trump, unsurprisingly to anyone watching the last decade of partisan warfare, praised the indictment and suggested it may be the first of multiple accountability actions against those who weaponized federal power against him and his supporters. Conservatives have long argued that the justice system was used selectively against political foes, and seeing a high-profile figure finally face scrutiny will feel for many like a corrective course—so long as the process remains transparent and bound by law.
Comey has proclaimed his innocence and appealed to the courts, releasing a video saying he will “have a trial and keep the faith,” a reminder that in America every defendant deserves his day in court. Let the trial proceed; truth and due process are the only remedies that will settle whether this is legitimate accountability or political theater.
Patriots should be clear-eyed: accountability must not become revenge, and those who once abused power must face the same consequences ordinary citizens would face. At the same time, conservatives should demand strict, nonpartisan adherence to legal norms so this moment strengthens, rather than weakens, the rule of law for future generations.
The left’s immediate outrage and cries of victimhood ring hollow to anyone who remembers Comey’s central role in the chaotic, politicized investigations of the last decade. As commentators like Rob Finnerty rightly pointed out, the reaction from the usual suspects reveals more about their desire for protected elites than any principled stand for justice, and hardworking Americans deserve a DOJ that serves the country, not a political faction.
