Ex-FBI chief James Comey faces criminal charges as Trump targets critics

He is charged with making false statements, obstructing congressional investigation

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WASHINGTON - The US Justice Department filed criminal charges against former FBI director James Comey on Sept 25, in a dramatic escalation of President Donald Trump's retribution campaign against his political enemies.

If convicted, Comey could face up to five years in prison. He faces charges of making false statements and obstructing a congressional investigation.

In a video posted on Instagram, Comey said: "My heart is broken for the Department of Justice, but I have great confidence in the federal judicial system, and I am innocent. So, let's have a trial and keep the faith."

His attorney, Mr Patrick J. Fitzgerald, said in a statement: "Jim Comey denies the charges filed today in their entirety. We look forward to vindicating him in the courtroom."

Mr Trump has threatened to imprison his political rivals since he first ran for president in 2015, but the indictment on Sept 25 marks the first time his administration has succeeded in securing a grand jury indictment against one of them.

The Justice Department is also investigating other antagonists, including New York Attorney-General Letitia James and Mr John Bolton, who served as a national security official in Mr Trump's first term as president.

The charges breach decades-long norms that have sought to insulate US law enforcement from political pressures.

The federal prosecutor in Virginia who had been tasked with pursuing the case resigned last week after drawing Mr Trump's wrath for expressing doubts about the case, and others in the office have privately said the evidence does not merit criminal charges, according to sources familiar with the matter.