Former FBI Director James Comey pleads not guilty to both counts of indictment

Legal Proceedings - Former FBI Director James Comey pleaded not guilty to charges of making a false statement and obstruction of a political proceeding related to his 2020 Senate Judiciary Committee testimony [1][3] - Comey requested a jury trial, mirroring his public statements expressing faith in the federal judicial system and asserting his innocence [4] - Comey is represented by Patrick Fitzgerald, a former prominent US attorney [3] - The indictment reading was waived in court [3] Political Context - Protesters supportive of Comey expressed concerns about the politicization of the justice system [6] - President Trump publicly directed his attorney general to investigate perceived political rivals, including James Comey [6] - Comey was indicted 5 days after Trump's social media post [7] - Questions arise regarding potential coordination between the president and the Department of Justice in the Comey investigation [12] Personnel Changes at the Department of Justice - A career prosecutor serving as US attorney was fired [8] - An acting US attorney with a background in insurance law and prior work in the White House was appointed [8] - The acting US attorney presented evidence to a grand jury, leading to the two federal charges against Comey [9] Case Details - The charges against Comey stem from his testimony about whether he authorized a leak to the news media regarding the Clinton Foundation investigation [10] - The government alleges that Comey lied to Congress [11] - Comey's attorneys are expected to seek dismissal of the case, arguing it is a vindictive prosecution influenced by public pressure from the president [13] - Proving intent to provide false information will be a key aspect of the case [15]