Prosecutors: ‘8647’ seashell photo encoded threat against 47th president
U.S. District Judge Louise Flanagan issued the continuance order Friday in New Bern, where Comey had been set to appear Wednesday. She wrote that “the gravity of the charges, pending motions and the need to provide defense counsel additional time to prepare for trial” justified pushing the arraignment to January 2027.
The charge stems from an Instagram photo Comey posted of the numbers 8647 written out on a beach in seashells. Federal prosecutors said the post constituted a threat against Trump. They argued “86” is commonly used as restaurant shorthand for “get rid of” and that 47 could represent Trump as the 47th president of the United States.
In July, Comey’s defense team asked Flanagan to dismiss the case, arguing the Instagram post could not qualify as a “true threat” under prevailing First Amendment standards. The defense also requested a continuance.
Comey is a longstanding critic of Trump, who fired him in 2017. Comey has said Trump is targeting him because of his criticism. The case marks the second time a grand jury has indicted Comey during Trump’s second term, after the president claimed he had committed a crime; a judge dismissed the first indictment in November.