“Let’s have a trial,” Comey says after federal indictment

Former FBI Director James Comey proclaimed his innocence in a Thursday night video responding to the Trump administration’s indictment issued earlier that day. The two-count indictment alleged that Comey gave false statements and obstructed justice relating to the investigation into Russia’s influence on the 2016 election.

A bipartisan Senate panel that met for three years concluded in 2020 that Russia did interfere in the 2016 election.

In his own words: Comey opened by saying his family had known for years that standing up to President Donald Trump came with a price. We will not live on our knees, and neither should the American people, he said. Comey described fear as a tyrannical tool, and insisted that he was not afraid. People should be paying attention and remain engaged to vote like the country needs them to, the former FBI director said. He described being heartbroken for the Department of Justice, but reiterated his confidence in the federal judicial system. Comey proclaimed his innocence and called for a trial. Let's keep the faith, he added.

Other Comey indictment updates:

• His son-in-law, Troy Edwards Jr., resigned from his role as a federal prosecutor soon after the Thursday indictment was announced. Edwards previously served as a senior national security prosecutor in the same district now prosecuting his father-in-law. His resignation letter, reported by numerous media outlets to be one sentence long, said he was leaving to uphold his oath to the Constitution and his country.

• Trump described Comey as a dirty cop who destroyed lives in a Friday morning statement. Comey can’t explain his way out of his lies, and there’s a very big price to pay, the president added.

Dig deeper: Read Carolina Lumetta’s report for more background on the indictment.