ALEXANDRIA, Virginia — Former FBI Director James Comey pleaded not guilty on Wednesday.

Judge Michael Nachmanoff set a January 5, 2026, trial date, though Comey’s attorney indicated the defense planned to file several motions to avoid a trial.

Comey was indicted Sept. 25 on two counts for allegedly lying to Congress during his September 2020 testimony about the Trump-Russia probe and obstructing a Congressional proceeding.

“It’s the honor of my life to represent Mr. Comey in this matter,” Comey’s attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said before announcing the plea.

The defense has not “received a single piece of discovery” to date and still does not know who Person One or Person Three in the indictment reference, Fitzgerald said.

BREAKING: Former FBI Director James Comey has pleaded not guilty. The judge set a Jan. 5 trial date.

— Katelynn Richardson (@katesrichardson) October 8, 2025

Assistant U.S. attorney Nathaniel Lemons told the judge the government is sifting through a “large” amount of discovery, including classified material.

Nachmanoff noted he is “skeptical,” noting it does not appear to be an “overly complicated case.” Fitzgerald indicated he was also confused, stating the two-count indictment seems to be a “simple case.”

Lemons indicated the DOJ was processing it as “efficiently” as possible, with an eye towards declassifying the information. The government expects a trial would last just 2-3 days.

Comey plans to file a vindictive prosecution motion alleging the indictment was brought “at the direction of President Trump,” Fitzgerald said. He also intends to challenge the lawfulness of Interim U.S. attorney Lindsey Halligan’s appointment.

Halligan indicted Comey just days after taking over as head of the U.S. attorney’s office in the Eastern District of Virginia. Former U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert resigned Sept. 19 after Trump called for his removal.

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