WASHINGTON (The Hill) — Former FBI Director James Comey expressed deep sadness for the Department of Justice on Thursday after being charged with two counts by the Trump Justice Department. Despite this, he maintained his innocence and stated he felt no fear.

Comey responded to news of his own indictment in a short video posted to Instagram.

“My family and I have been aware for a long time that there are consequences for opposing Donald Trump. However, we couldn’t picture living any other way. We refuse to live subserviently, and neither should you,” said Comey.

He added a thought from someone dear to him, emphasizing that “fear is the tool of a tyrant,” a lesson his daughter imparted after she was dismissed as a federal prosecutor in July.

“I am unafraid, and I encourage you to be the same. Stay involved, stay informed, and vote as if the future of our country relies on it—because it does,” Comey urged.

“Although my heart aches for the Department of Justice, I have full faith in the federal judiciary,” he stated confidently. “I maintain my innocence. So, let’s proceed to trial. And keep your spirits up.”

A federal grand jury charged Comey with making a false statement and obstructing a congressional proceeding related to his 2020 Senate testimony. 

The indictment makes Comey the first of President Trump’s many perceived political enemies to face charges.

Trump has long called for charges against Comey, whom he blames for the investigation into his campaign’s ties to Russia in the 2016 election — something he has deemed a “witch hunt.” Last Saturday, Trump appeared to explicitly pressure his attorney general to pursue a case against Comey and other opponents.

Trump fired Comey as FBI director in 2017 while the bureau’s investigation was still ongoing, leading to the appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller. Trump and Comey have had an adversarial relationship ever since, with Trump decrying Comey as a “dirty cop,” among other insults.

Comey, who earned the ire of Democrats in 2016 with his handling of an investigation into then-presidential candidate and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s email server, endorsed former President Biden in the 2020 election and backed former Vice President Harris in the 2024 race against Trump.

Thursday’s indictment quickly set off alarm bells among Democrats and other Trump critics who slammed the move as a politically motivated effort to go after the president’s enemies.