Charges were filed Tuesday against former FBI Director James Comey over a photo he posted on social media which, according to authorities, constitutes a threat against the U.S. president, Donald Trump. An arrest warrant has been issued for him, as revealed by CNN.

The indictment was filed in the Eastern District of North Carolina, and a judicial official issued a warrant for Comey’s arrest. According to court documents, he faces charges of threatening the president and transmitting a threat through interstate communications, carrying a possible prison sentence of up to 10 years.

The controversial “86 47” post

The indictment states that Comey “publicly posted a photograph on Instagram depicting seashells arranged to form the numbers ‘86 47,’ which a reasonable observer, aware of the circumstances, could interpret as a serious intent to cause harm to the President of the United States.”

The post was published in May and was captioned: “Nice shell formation on my beach walk.” However, critics argued that the number 86, in slang, msean “to get rid of” or “eliminate,” while Trump is the 47th president of the United States.

Comey’s response

Comey responded via a video posted on his Substack account, stating: “I remain innocent. I am not afraid. And I still believe in an independent federal judiciary, so let’s proceed.”

Donald Trump has repeatedly called for the prosecution of his political opponents, including the former FBI director, whom he considers a key figure in what he describes as the “weaponization” of the justice system against him.

At a press conference on Tuesday, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the case is part of the Department of Justice’s broader effort to prosecute threats against the president.

“Over the past year, the Department has brought dozens of cases involving threats against various individuals. We take them all with the utmost seriousness,” he said.

When asked by CNN about the arrest warrant, Blanche clarified that the decision was made by a grand jury: “The Department of Justice does not issue arrest warrants—that is the role of juries. The grand jury returned an indictment and issued a warrant, and the case will proceed like hundreds of others each year.”

According to court documents, the case file includes a request for an arrest warrant on Department of Justice letterhead without a grand jury signature, which may lead to further legal debate.