James Comey '86 47' seashell case prosecutor suddenly steps down, assistant US attorney steps in
The federal prosecutor handling the Justice Department’s criminal case against former FBI Director James Comey over his "86 47" seashell Instagram post has stepped down, according to a new court...
By Fox News · Fox News
The federal prosecutor handling the Justice Department’s criminal case against former FBI Director James Comey over his "86 47" seashell Instagram post has stepped down, according to a new court filing. A notice of substitution filed Friday in the Eastern District of North Carolina says Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo will replace Matthew Petracca "as counsel for the government." The filing from U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina Ellis Boyle requested that Petracca be removed from the court docket but did not explain the change. Boyle had hired the rookie prosecutor for the case months ago. Comey is facing two federal charges and up to 10 years in prison for his sharing the Instagram post showing seashells arranged to read "86 47," potentially signaling would-be political assassins. Prosecutors have alleged the post amounted to "a serious expression of an intent to do harm" to President Donald Trump , the 47th president. JAMES COMEY TELLS COLBERT WHAT LED TO HIM POSTING CONTROVERSIAL '86 47' INSTAGRAM POST The number "86" is a common restaurant term for getting rid of or stopping service of an item, but Trump and his prosecutors argue it is also well known to law enforcement as a mob term for assassination. "Threatening the life of the President of the United States is a grave violation of our nation’s laws," acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in an April 28 statement at the time the two-count indictment for threatening the president and transmitting a threat in interstate commerce was announced. "The grand jury returned an indictment alleging James Comey did just that, at a time when this country has witnessed violent incitement followed by deadly actions against President Trump and other elected officials," he added. "The temperature needs to be turned down, and anyone who dials it up and threatens the life of the President will be held accountable." LEGAL EXPERTS WARN COMEY ‘8647’ INDICTMENT FACES FIRST AMENDMENT HURDLES Comey…