The claim
“James Comey was indicted on federal charges over an Instagram image of seashells spelling '8647'.”
Coverage of the federal indictment of former FBI director James Comey.
Our verdict
True
A grand jury indicted Comey on 28 April 2026 on two counts of threatening the president over his 2025 '86 47' seashell post.
What we found
The indictment, filed in North Carolina, says the image could be read as a threat; Comey had deleted it, saying he opposed violence. It is his second federal indictment. The claim is accurate.
The evidence
2 of 2 sources support the claim; none contradict it.
How we checked
We checked the claim against Ground News, NBC New York. We reviewed 2 relevant sources.
Sources
- [1]NBC New York · What does 86 47 mean? Seashell numbers in Comey indictment explained
- [2]Ground News · Ex-FBI Director James Comey indicted for his '8647' seashell post on Instagram
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