How did we get here?published at 18:06 GMT
Former FBI Director James Comey was arraigned in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, on 8 October.
Under direct pressure from US President Donald Trump, the Department of Justice charged Comey in September with one count of making false statements and another of obstruction of justice.
Both charges relate to statements Comey made to the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2020 when he was questioned about his handling of the DOJ’s probe into Hillary Clinton’s emails and about an investigation into pro-Trump election interference by Russia.
At the arraignment – the defendant’s first court appearance in the case – the charges were formally presented to Comey, who entered a not guilty plea. Comey has maintained his innocence and said in a video statement following the indictment “let’s go to trial”.
In the lead-up to the indictment, Trump repeatedly called on Bondi to prosecute his political and administerial adversaries, including Comey, in what critics have called a blatant weaponisation of the Justice Department.
