Former FBI chief faces new federal charge over 2016 leak

Former FBI Director James Comey faces a third federal prosecution after the Justice Department accused him of leaking classified material in 2016.

Court documents revealed on Monday show prosecutors filed a criminal information in Washington federal court. The filing charges Comey with transmitting and conspiring to transmit national defense information. The government alleges he shared classified details with a New York Times reporter in October 2016.

The Justice Department filed the document on October 5 to prevent the case from expiring under the 10-year statute of limitations. A department spokesperson called the move a widely recognized practice in federal court. The case was unsealed on Monday at the request of Comey's legal team.

Comey reacted to the news in an Instagram video, stating that the department is back again. He asserted his innocence but did not provide additional details. His lawyer, Patrick Fitzgerald, released a statement claiming the document purports to charge Comey with crimes he did not commit.

This is the third legal action against Comey by the Justice Department. Previous charges included accusations that he lied to Congress about media leaks and threatened President Donald Trump in a social media post. A judge has already dismissed the false statements case, while the threats case remains pending.

Comey's lawyers have asked a judge to dismiss the new case, arguing it is legally improper. The department said it would not comment further because the matter is an ongoing criminal investigation.