DOJ probes Comey classified leaks

The James Comey story people are passing around is real — but the timeline is getting mangled. The big thing to know is that this is not a brand-new leak investigation breaking today. The Justice Department already announced charges against the former FBI director on September 25, 2025, and those charges were tied to obstruction and a false statement, not a newly revealed classified-leak count. (justice.gov) ### What did DOJ actually charge? DOJ said a federal grand jury charged Comey with obstructing a congressional investigation and making a false statement. The case came out of his September 30, 2020 testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. DOJ’s press release framed the alleged falsehood this way: Comey said he did not authorize someone at the FBI to act as an anonymous source, and prosecutors say that statement was false. (justice.gov) ### So where do the leak claims come from? They come from a much older fight over Comey’s memos about his conversations with Donald Trump. In August 2019, DOJ’s inspector general released a report saying the FBI had referred the matter after determining Comey may have shared memos containing classified information with people outside the bureau. The report also (justice.gov)porter after Comey was fired in May 2017. (oig.justice.gov) ### Was that friend the professor people mention? Yes. The friend was Daniel Richman, a Columbia Law School professor and longtime Comey associate. That part has been public for years. What often gets blurred online is the difference between Comey using Richman to share the contents of one unclassified memo with the press and the separate question of whether(oig.justice.gov)lated but distinct problems. (oig.justice.gov) ### Did the inspector general say Comey leaked classified material? Not in the simple, viral-post way people phrase it. The inspector general said Comey violated DOJ and FBI policies by keeping and sharing certain memos and by setting “a dangerous example” for FBI employees. But the same 2019 report also said the contents Comey asked Richman to share with th(oig.justice.gov)ral different acts into one accusation. (oig.justice.gov) ### Why does the 2025 indictment matter then? Because it shows DOJ eventually chose a criminal theory — just not the one social media posts are implying. The announced charges focused on what Comey told Congress and whether he obstructed investigators, not on a stand-alone public filing accusing him of leaking classified information to a professor. If someone says “DOJ is now probing him,” the more accurate version is that DOJ moved past probing and filed a criminal case months ago. (justice.gov) ### Is there any new official filing today? I could not find a new DOJ or FBI inspector general announcement today about a fresh classified-leak referral involving Comey. The newest official Comey item on DOJ’s site is unrelated — an April 28, 2026 indictment accusing him of threats against President Trump. That is a separate case entirely, and it can easily muddy searches if you are trying to verify the leak story. (justice.gov) ### What should you take from this? Basically — separate the buckets. There was an old memo controversy, a 2019 inspector general report criticizing Comey’s handling of records, a 2025 indictment over obstruction and false statements, and then a separate 2026 case. Mash those together and you get a much cleaner story online than the one the official record actually shows. (oig.justice.gov) ### Bottom line The viral claim is directionally based on real history, but the “DOJ probes Comey classified leaks” framing is stale and incomplete. The official record shows an older inspector general finding, then a later criminal indictment on different charges — not a newly confirmed classified-leak case announced today. (oig.justice.gov)