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Obama-era attorney flips script on Comey indictment naysayers with warning not to bury DOJ yet
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Legal experts are pushing back on skepticism surrounding the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey, arguing the Department of Justice would not have brought the case without meeting key legal thresholds.
«Lots of folks are saying the case is going nowhere, but, way too early to reach that conclusion,» former Democratic U.S. Attorney John Fishwick, who served in Virginia during the Obama administration, said, cautioning against prematurely dismissing the case.
The indictment, brought last month in the Eastern District of North Carolina, alleged Comey, a longtime Trump nemesis, threatened the president and delivered interstate communications containing threats when he posted a photo on Instagram of seashells reading «8647» last year.
Free speech advocates and leftist critics pushed back against the indictment, accusing the DOJ of infringing on protected speech in the name of prosecuting one of Trump’s top political rivals. Comey, whom Trump fired as FBI director in 2017, has been outspoken against the president and profited off sales from his anti-Trump book, while Trump has said Comey is «guilty as hell» on social media and that he should face criminal charges.
BLANCHE TURNS THE TABLES ON COMEY INDICTMENT CRITICS: ‘REST ASSURED’ CASE GOES BEYOND INSTAGRAM POST
Former FBI director James Comey speaks before lawmakers after being indicted by the Justice Department. (Cheriss May/Getty Images)
«Comey is out for revenge against Trump and has publicly gone after Trump separately from the seashells,» Fishwick said, adding that Trump also publicly said he perceived the message as a threat.
Prosecutors must prove Comey’s intent and that the message constituted a «true threat,» a high legal bar that has fueled questions about whether the case can succeed, especially in the recent threat environment where Trump has now faced three alleged assassination attempts.
«You prove intent like you always prove intent,» acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said on «Meet the Press» this weekend. «You prove intent with witnesses. You prove intent with documents, with materials. … This is not just about a single Instagram post. This is about a body of evidence that the grand jury collected over the series of about 11 months.»
Chad Mizelle, former DOJ chief of staff, told Fox News Digital the legal standard for convicting Comey for threatening the president was high but that the indictment suggested there was underlying evidence.
«I don’t think the department would have secured the indictment without concrete evidence that Comey did knowingly and willfully threaten the president of the United States,» Mizelle said.
Mizelle noted evidence could take many forms, such as nonpublic text messages or emails.
«What was Comey’s intent when he said it?» Mizelle asked. «I suspect DOJ has evidence of that, and I’ll wager it’s not favorable to Comey.»
IN TRYING TO SECURE COMEY INDICTMENT, US PROSECUTORS HAVE SHORT WINDOW — AND A DIFFICULT CASE TO MAKE
Todd Blanche, President Donald Trump’s nominee for deputy attorney general, testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 12, 2024, facing questions about Justice Department independence and Capitol riot investigations. (Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg)
The term «86» has been used as slang to get rid of someone or something, often in restaurants for an unavailable item or refused customer. Prosecutors alleged that, paired with «47» — a reference to Donald Trump as the 47th president — Comey’s post amounted to a threat.
Before serving as head of the FBI, Comey was a federal prosecutor and deputy attorney general for the Department of Justice.
Comey, «more than any American, knows not to make threats and what a threat looks like,» Fishwick said.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., told Fox News: «This is a very smart guy. He knows what he’s doing. He’s nobody’s fool. … He knew exactly what he was doing, but hey he’s going to have his day in court.»
The DOJ secured the indictment from a grand jury days after a third alleged assassination attempt on Trump at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, a point Blanche has drilled down on as evidence that prosecuting threats to the president, regardless of who made them, is a top priority. Fishwick said the political violence would be relevant if the case makes it to trial.
«As background to any trial, jurors in North Carolina will be aware of all the political threats in this country and know that something must be done about it,» Fishwick said.
George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley raised First Amendment concerns, saying if the case rested solely on the image of seashells forming «8647,» it could face significant legal hurdles, arguing the image «is clearly protected speech» absent additional evidence.
James Comey posted a photo on Instagram showing him standing on a beach. (Fox News)
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression said «86» could actually mean impeachment and that the charges defied Supreme Court precedent that established the standard for a «true threat.»
«The idea that Comey’s picture of seashells conveyed a serious intent to harm the president is ridiculous,» the group wrote on social media. «The administration should abandon this transparent and unconstitutional attempt to punish a critic.»
FBI DEPUTY DIRECTOR DAN BONGINO: JAMES COMEY ‘BROUGHT SHAME TO THE FBI AGAIN’ WITH ’86 47′ POST
Comey had quickly deleted the post, saying at the time that he did not realize that he had shared something ominous. After the indictment, he said he was «still innocent.»
«I’m still not afraid, and I still believe in the independent federal judiciary, so let’s go,» Comey said.
Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton accused «the left media [of] rushing to the defense of James Comey, pretending it’s about free speech.»
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«You don’t have the right to advocate for the killing of the president,» Fitton said.
Comey’s arraignment is set for May 11 in Greenville. Comey’s lawyer did not comment for this story.
attorney general, fox news, first amendment, fbi, james comey
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Evacuaron del crucero a los tres pasajeros que tienen síntomas de hantavirus y confirmaron que circula la cepa que se transmite entre humanos
Los tres pasajeros que tienen síntomas de hantavirus fueron evacuados del crucero MV Hondius mientras la OMS confirmó que circula la cepa Andes, que se transmite entre humanos.
Se trata de dos tripulantes que están enfermos y una persona que es considerada contacto estrecho. Todos fueron evacuados en aviones ambulancia desde el aeropuerto de Praia, en Cabo Verde, a Países Bajos.
Según el portal Flightradar24, un primer avión despegó rumbo a Ámsterdam, donde debería aterrizar hacia las 14.30 de la Argentina, pero en el caso del segundo avión no se precisaba su destino.
Los tres pasajeros habían sido evacuados previamente en barco desde el crucero en el que se encontraban, según informó en su momento la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS).
España recibirá al crucero
La ministra de Salud de España, Mónica García, confirmó que el crucero afectado por un brote de hantavirus finalmente desembarcará en las Islas Canarias.
“Se pondrá en marcha un mecanismo conjunto de evaluación sanitaria y de evacuación para repatriar a todos los miembros del pasaje», indicó la ministra.
En paralelo, advirtió: “Salvo que la condición médica lo impida, todos los pasajeros extranjeros serán repatriados”. El crucero MV Hondius fondeado en el Atlántico cerca de Cabo Verde. (Foto: AP /Arilson Almeida).
La ministra aseguró igualmente que el gobierno central en Madrid estaba siguiendo la situación “minuto a minuto” con el fin de adoptar las medidas necesarias para evitar cualquier posible riesgo de transmisión del virus.
Más temprano, el presidente regional de las Islas Canarias había mostrado su oposición a la evacuación de enfermos a través del archipiélago, lamentando la falta de información por parte del ejecutivo central en Madrid.
“He estado hablando en todo momento con el presidente de la comunidad canaria”, respondió sin embargo Mónica García a los periodistas. “Todas las decisiones que se fueron tomando en todas esas reuniones fueron trasladadas en tiempo y forma al gobierno canario, como no puede ser de otra manera”, agregó.
Brote y la cepa Andes: por qué preocupa a las autoridades
El MV Hondius, de bandera neerlandesa, cubría la ruta entre Ushuaia y el archipiélago de Cabo Verde, en África occidental, cuando se desató el brote.
Según la OMS, tres pasajeros —una pareja de neerlandeses y una turista alemana— murieron desde el inicio del viaje.
La alarma se disparó cuando expertos sudafricanos identificaron la cepa Andes en uno de los casos.
El MV Hondius, donde ocurrió el brote de hantavirus. (Foto: AFP).
El ministro de Salud de Sudáfrica, Aaron Motsoaledi, explicó ante el Parlamento que “las pruebas preliminares muestran que, efectivamente, se trata de la cepa de los Andes, y resulta ser la única de las 38 conocidas que puede transmitirse de una persona a otra”.
El Hospital Universitario de Ginebra también confirmó la presencia de esta variante, que es la más temida por su capacidad de contagio humano.
Cómo fue la evacuación y cuál es el estado de los pacientes
Los evacuados de este miércoles son dos tripulantes enfermos y una persona considerada contacto estrecho.
Según la representante de la OMS en Cabo Verde, Ann Lindstrand, “los tres se encuentran en estado estable y uno de ellos es asintomático”.
Además, otro pasajero británico fue evacuado previamente y permanece internado en un hospital de Johannesburgo, mientras que un hombre suizo está hospitalizado en Zúrich.
Ambulancias y un barco ambulancia participaron del operativo en el puerto de Praia, la capital de Cabo Verde, donde el crucero permanece fondeado con 88 pasajeros y 59 tripulantes de 23 nacionalidades, entre ellos un argentino.
Qué se sabe sobre el origen del brote y el futuro del crucero
La OMS investiga el origen del brote y rastrea la cadena de contagio. Maria Van Kerkhove, directora del área de prevención de epidemias de la OMS, sostuvo que “uno o varios primeros casos se infectaron fuera del barco y luego se produjo transmisión entre personas”.
Las autoridades de Tierra del Fuego aclararon que el MV Hondius fue sometido a todos los controles antes de zarpar de Ushuaia y consideraron “improbable” que la enfermedad se haya contraído allí. Confirmaron que la cepa Andes de habtavirus circula a bordo del crucero MV Hondius. (Foto: AFP).
Tras las evacuaciones, el barco tiene previsto poner rumbo a Tenerife, en las Islas Canarias, donde debería llegar en tres o cuatro días. Sin embargo, el presidente regional de Canarias, Fernando Clavijo, expresó su rechazo a recibir a los enfermos y criticó la falta de información del gobierno central español.
El Ministerio de Sanidad español explicó que había aceptado una petición formal de Países Bajos para evacuar al médico del barco, pero ese vuelo fue cancelado a último momento.
Qué es el hantavirus y por qué la cepa Andes genera alarma
El hantavirus se transmite habitualmente a través de roedores infectados, que eliminan el virus por saliva, orina y excrementos. Puede provocar un síndrome respiratorio agudo y, en el caso de la cepa Andes, la transmisión entre humanos es posible, lo que eleva el nivel de alerta.
A pesar de la preocupación, la OMS sostuvo que “el riesgo global para la salud pública sigue siendo bajo”, aunque la investigación y el monitoreo continúan.
crucero, hantavirus, Brote
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Trump flagged ‘fake crime numbers’ in DC months before 13 officers accused of cooking books
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President Donald Trump warned nearly a year ago that the District of Columbia may have been reporting «fake crime numbers» when he deployed the National Guard to the nation’s capital.
Now, the Metropolitan Police Department is embroiled in scandal, as 13 officers have been placed on leave, with some already undergoing termination, according to MPD Interim Chief Jeffrey Carroll, as an ongoing probe into alleged manipulation of statistics unfolds.
«Our Internal Affairs Bureau has completed an investigation into crime reporting,» Carroll said. The MPD did not immediately respond to a Tuesday request for comment. «This investigation was reported — it was referred to us earlier this year from the United States Attorney’s Office.»
Senior officials, including an assistant chief and district commander, are among those being scrutinized, according to reports.
DC POLICE ACCUSED OF MANIPULATING CRIME STATS AS FEDERAL PROBE FINDS THOUSANDS OF MISCLASSIFIED CASES
Trump received heavy blowback from District officials and Democratic lawmakers for dispatching the Guard to the area after declaring on Truth Social that «DC gave fake crime numbers in order to create a false illusion of safety.»
Trump claimed that until the Guard arrived, Washington was the least safe city in the U.S. «and perhaps the world.»
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for further comment, while House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer took credit for the developments leading up to the suspensions.
«These terminations are a direct result of the Oversight Committee’s work exposing dangerous efforts by DC Police leaders to artificially lower crime rates,» Comer, R-Ky., said in a statement.
Meanwhile, several Democrats, including those in the District, have lambasted Trump for his actions.
Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., slammed the White House in August, saying the president’s use of federal law enforcement within her city is a «disproportionate overreaction» and «offensive.»
WHITE HOUSE FIRES BACK AS TRUMP’S USE OF DC POLICE FOR CRIME CRACKDOWN IS PLACED IN THE CROSSHAIRS BY DEMS
President Donald Trump visits the U.S. Park Police Anacostia Operations Facility in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 21, 2025, amid federal deployment to assist local law enforcement. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Council members on the District Council — where there are no Republicans — called Trump’s behavior off-base and extreme.
District of Columbia District Attorney Brian Schwalb also sued the feds for an «unlawful attempt to take over [MPD]» and the Justice Department’s Home-Rule order to the District in that respect.
Schwalb’s office said in a statement at the time that Trump had no right to supplant then-chief Pamela Smith, with the AG adding that his actions represented a «hostile takeover.»
«The Administration is abusing its limited, temporary authority under the Home Rule Act, infringing on the District’s right to self-governance and putting the safety of DC residents and visitors at risk,» Schwalb said, further calling the move the greatest threat to the District’s «home rule» provisions of self-governance.
In a profane response a month later to the Guard’s presence, Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., declared Congress would never provide consent to Trump’s actions in Washington.
«No f—ing way,» he said in response to a question on extending the National Guard’s tenure.
‘THEY’RE EMBARRASSING US’: NATIONAL GUARD PRESENCE IN DC SPARKS FIERY CAPITOL CLASH
Schumer called Trump’s move an attempted distraction from the Jeffrey Epstein files saga.
Fox News Digital reached out to Schwalb, Holmes-Norton, Schumer, the White House and the MPD for comment.
A representative for Schwalb acknowledged Fox News Digital’s inquiry and said the attorney general’s office would respond soon.
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Meanwhile, the MPD’s union boss welcomed the news, saying his members «warned that this toxic culture of coercion, fear, and corruption left thousands of cases uninvestigated, denied victims justice, gaslit residents, and endangered public safety.»
«Forensic teams were not dispatched, evidence went uncollected, detectives were never notified, and dangerous criminals walked free. All while the public was fed falsified Daily Crime Report (DCR) numbers,» Gregg Pemberton said.
washington dc, politics, corruption, police and law enforcement, investigations
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Trump ‘right to be outraged’ by Europe’s betrayal on Iran, says former Thatcher advisor
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As President Donald Trump continues to express anger at NATO European allies for their lack of help in the war with Iran, he’s making clear their behavior comes at a cost.
In the weeks during the war and since the ceasefire, the president has hit back not just with words but with definitive actions against several of those countries.
Germany
On Saturday, Trump said that he would withdraw more than the initial 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany as stated by the Pentagon, after Berlin’s leader denigrated the American effort to stop Iran’s regime from building a nuclear weapon.
TRUMP WEIGHS PULLING US TROOPS FROM GERMANY AMID CLASH WITH CHANCELLOR OVER IRAN WAR
President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz met in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., on March 3, 2026, to discuss issues including recent U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
A day earlier he said about Germany that «We’re gonna cut way down. We’re cutting a lot further than 5,000.» The Trump administration previously announced a contraction of 5,000 troops in Germany after the country’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Iran’s regime «humiliated» Trump.
In an apparent state of panic, Merz walked back his attack on Trump and his Iran strategy on Sunday. The chancellor wrote on X: «The United States is and will remain Germany‘s most important partner in the North Atlantic Alliance. We share a common goal: Iran must not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons.»
Trump ratcheted up his troop reduction number against Germany amid his comments about downsizing U.S. boots on the ground in Spain and Italy because they failed to aid America in the war against Iran. The president’s anger at Western European countries has been simmering for weeks and could lead to profound changes in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
TRUMP CRITICIZES SPAIN AMID IRAN, NATO RIFT AS PM SANCHEZ FACES QUESTIONS OVER POLITICAL MOTIVES
Nile Gardiner, the director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at The Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital, «The lack of support for the United States has been nothing less than treacherous. I think the president has the right to be outraged by the lack of support from key European allies.»
An Iranian flag is planted in the rubble of a police station, damaged in airstrikes on March 3, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. (Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)
He said, «There is a very deep-seated cultural appeasement in Europe towards the Iranian regime that goes back many decades, and a flat-out refusal to accept the reality of the immense dangers of a nuclear-armed Iran. European leaders are sleepwalking toward destruction with this perilous path they have taken.
TRUMP IS RIGHT ABOUT NATO’S WEAKNESS — THE REAL QUESTION IS HOW DOES AMERICA FIX IT
«The lack of support for the United States is how far Europe has gone toward losing its moral compass. Iran is a genocidal regime that threatens to wipe Israel off the map.» He noted that the Islamic Republic has killed huge numbers of its population.
Gardiner, a former advisor to Lady Thatcher said, «If you listen to European leaders, it’s as if the U.S. is the villain here.»
Merz, speaking last week in Marsberg, criticized the U.S. approach to Iran, saying Washington was being «humiliated by the Iranian leadership» and expressing hope the conflict would end «as quickly as possible.»
Gardiner said of Merz’s remarks that, «comments like these actually help the propaganda of the Iranian dictatorship. It is astonishing that a German chancellor would make these kinds of remarks at a time of war…and the German chancellor is giving comfort to the Iranian regime. It is disgusting.»
Numerous Fox News Digital press queries sent to Merz’s spokesman Stefan Kornelius were not returned.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called the U.S. conflict with Iran «reckless» and «unjust.» (Yves Herman/Reuters)
Spain and Italy
Before his announcement on the troop withdrawal from Germany, and in response to a question about reducing U.S. troops in Spain and Italy, Trump responded, «I mean, they haven’t been exactly on board. Yeah, probably. Yeah, I probably will… Italy has not been of any help to us. And Spain has been horrible. Absolutely horrible.»
Spain’s socialist Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez has taken a belligerent stand against the U.S. and Israeli military campaign against the Iranian regime, forbidding the U.S. from using its military bases in Spain to refuel aircraft or prepare for military action. He has decried the campaign as illegal while staying quiet on the regime’s murder of thousands of protesters and its increased drive to produce ballistic missiles and acquire nuclear weapons-grade enriched uranium.
Gardiner said, «The Spanish have been the worst by a long way. At least the Germans and Italy have allowed the use of its own bases. The Spanish have refused to cooperate in any way with the war.»
Trump told the Italian daily Corriere della Sera last month about the country’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni that «I’m shocked at her. I thought she had courage, but I was wrong.»
The Europe expert, Gardiner, sees a wide gulf between how mainly Western European countries and the United States view the preservation of Western civilization, freedom, democracy and liberty.
French President Emmanuel Macron listens to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during a working session with world leaders at the G7 summit in Borgo Egnazia, Italy, on June 13, 2024. (Andrew Medichini/AP)
«Europe has lost both its ability and its will to fight. The United States is clearly willing to fight to defend Western civilization and the free world. Much of Europe has given up on this, especially Western Europe. It is an appeasement mindset cojoined with weakness and pacifism and also a growing acceptance by European leaders of mass migration and Islamification.»
He added, «Europe has fundamentally changed over the last twenty years beyond recognition, and yet Europe’s ruling elites accept it seemingly as a fact, with some notable exceptions.»
France and the UK
Trump took the United Kingdom and France in March to task for their postioning on the war against Iran.
«The Country of France wouldn’t let planes headed to Israel, loaded up with military supplies, fly over French territory,» Trump wrote on Truth Social.
«France has been VERY UNHELPFUL with respect to the ‘Butcher of Iran,’ who has been successfully eliminated! The U.S.A. will REMEMBER!!!,» he wrote.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron welcomes Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris on Feb. 17, 2025, before an informal summit of European leaders to discuss the situation in Ukraine and European security. (Photo by LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images)
Trump also wrote, «All of those countries that can’t get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the United Kingdom, which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, I have a suggestion for you.»
«Number 1, buy from the U.S., we have plenty, and Number 2, build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT.»
«You’ll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the U.S.A. won’t be there to help you anymore, just like you weren’t there for us. Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hard part is done. Go get your own oil!»
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Gardiner said the crisis over the Iran war shows that Europe has surrendered. The big Western Europeans have embraced «defeatism,» and «they do not care. It is as simple as that. And future generations will have to pay the price for the course Europe is taking now,» he said.
Fox News’ Brittany Miller and Solly Boussidan contributed to this report.
war with iran, donald trump, nato, germany, france, united kingdom
Horas de espera y 10 cuadras de fila: las historias de los postulantes para trabajar en una carnicería en Moreno
Evacuaron del crucero a los tres pasajeros que tienen síntomas de hantavirus y confirmaron que circula la cepa que se transmite entre humanos
Trump flagged ‘fake crime numbers’ in DC months before 13 officers accused of cooking books
¿A nadie le interesa el caso Adorni? ¡Lo que se están perdiendo!
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