James Comey, the FBI Director fired by Donald Trump in 2017, is now at the centre of a growing political storm after a social media post he shared. The now-deleted Instagram photo showed a collection of seashells arranged in what many interpreted to be the numbers “86 47” a phrase that critics claim was a thinly veiled calling for violence against Trump.The number “86” is slang in some contexts for getting rid of or eliminating someone, while “47” is widely understood to refer to Trump’s position as the 47th president. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem condemned the post and confirmed that federal law enforcement, including the Secret Service, is actively investigating. “Disgraced former FBI Director James Comey just called for the assassination of @POTUS Trump,” Noem wrote on X, adding that authorities would “respond appropriately.”Comey quickly took down the image and issued a statement claiming he had not understood the violent connotations associated with the numbers. “It never occurred to me,” he said, “but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.” The FBI, now led by Director Kash Patel, confirmed that it is coordinating with the Secret Service. Patel stated the bureau would provide “all necessary support” to the investigation.
Donald Trump Jr. accused Comey of deliberately encouraging violence, calling him “demented,” and others, including White House deputy chief James Blair, labelled the post a “Clarion Call” for terrorists to target the president while he is travelling abroad.
Who is Maurene Comey ?
Amid the uproar surrounding James Comey, attention has also turned to his daughter, Maurene Comey, who has quietly built her own career in public procescution.Conservative commentator Laura Loomer called for Maurene Comey’s immediate dismissal from the Department of Justice. In a post on X, Loomer questioned why she was still employed at the DOJ. “Why does James Comey’s daughter still work for the DOJ? Why hasn’t Blondi fired her?” she asked, referring to and mocking DOJ chief Pam Bondi. A Harvard-educated attorney, Maurene serves as a prosecutor in the Southern District of New York’s prestigious Violent and Organised Crime unit. She began her tenure at SDNY in 2015 and has worked on high-profile prosecutions, including those involving sex trafficking and corruption.Maurene Comey was one of the lead federal prosecutors on the Jeffrey Epstein case before his death in 2019 and also played a central role in the trial of Ghislaine Maxwell. Now, she is part of the legal team prosecuting music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, who faces multiple sex crime allegations that could lead to a 15-year sentence if convicted. She is one of eight attorneys on the case, and one of five women leading the prosecution.
