FBI Mulls Perp Walk For Comey After Suspending Agent Who Refused to Carry Out ‘Showy’ Arrest

The FBI is planning a dramatic arrest and “perp walk” of the former FBI director, James Comey, following his recent indictment, according to a new report.Mr. Comey faces charges of lying to Congress and obstructing a congressional proceeding, following a grand jury indictment on September 25. While his legal team agreed to bring him voluntarily to his October 9 arraignment in a Northern Virginia federal courtroom, the FBI leadership wants a more public display, CBS News reports.On the day of Comey’s indictment, senior FBI officials discussed bypassing the standard procedure and instead conducting a high-profile arrest, one source told the network. The plan called for “large, beefy” agents wearing “full kit,” including Kevlar vests and FBI-emblazoned gear.A supervisory special agent from the FBI’s Washington Field Office violent crimes division was approached to assemble such a team but refused, viewing the spectacle as “inappropriate and highly unusual for a white-collar defendant like Comey.” That agent was subsequently suspended for insubordination, Reuters reported.The FBI continues searching for personnel willing to execute the arrest plan before Thursday’s court appearance, though multiple supervisors have reportedly declined to participate. Sources indicate the agency expects to eventually find willing participants.The controversy highlights ongoing tensions surrounding perp walks, a practice critics argue violates defendants’ presumption of innocence. Ironically, when Mr. Comey served as Manhattan’s top federal prosecutor under President George W. Bush, the New York Civil Liberties Union urged him to abandon such tactics, calling them designed “simply to cause public humiliation and embarrassment of the accused.”That’s because Mr. Comey’s FBI perp walked former top Trump advisers Steve Bannon and Roger Stone, both arrested in high-profile FBI raids and charged with exactly what Mt. Comey is charged with, lying to Congress.The charges against Mr. Comey center on his testimony during a Senate hearing five years ago, where prosecutors allege he “falsely stated that he hadn’t authorized anybody at the FBI to serve as an anonymous source in media reports about investigations into Hillary Clinton.” The indictment doesn’t specify who Mr. Comey allegedly authorized or detail the leaked information.Mr. Comey maintains his innocence regarding all charges.The indictment followed significant upheaval within the Eastern District of Virginia prosecutor’s office. Lead prosecutor Erik Siebert resigned two weeks ago, with President Trump appointing former personal lawyer Lindsey Halligan as his replacement. Within days, Mr. Halligan presented the case to a grand jury.Internal opposition to the prosecution emerged ahead of the indictment, with office staff circulating a memo arguing against bringing charges, according to reports. In addition, two senior prosecutors in the Eastern District have been terminated within the past two weeks, sources told CBS News.

FBI Mulls Perp Walk For Comey After Suspending Agent Who Refused to Carry Out ‘Showy’ Arrest

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