联邦检察官周一敦促监督前美国联邦调查局导演詹姆斯·科米刑事案件的联邦法官驳回科米的论点，即他是被“报复性”起诉在唐纳德·特朗普总统的命令下，在一份直接为特朗普呼吁起诉科米的社交媒体帖子辩护的法庭文件中。
“通过新闻报道、社交媒体帖子和猜测的混合，被告编织了一个他所谓的‘明显违反宪法’的故事，导致他因向国会做出虚假陈述和阻碍国会调查而被起诉，”检察官在文件中说。“当严格的法律标准适用于此处的事实时，很明显，被告未能证明宪法要求法院采取驳回此案的特别措施。”
在整个文件中，检察官反复提到袖手旁观·特朗普的呼吁，即科米因涉嫌通过一名助理向新闻媒体泄密而面临起诉。
他们进一步指出，法官采取非常措施在审判前驳回科米的案件将是对行政部门权力的不可接受的侵犯，特朗普起诉科米和其他人的呼吁植根于他“注意法律得到忠实执行”的宪法责任。
“这起诉讼的社会利益显而易见，势不可挡，”检察官说。“被告是前美国联邦调查局局长，他在执掌美国主要联邦执法机构期间，就自己的行为向国会撒谎。对他的起诉牵涉到最高的社会利益。”
科米不服罪10月8日，一项虚假陈述和一项妨碍国会程序的指控与他2020年在参议院司法委员会的证词有关，批评者称之为特朗普的报复运动对抗他的政敌。副总统JD Vance曾表示，任何此类起诉都是“由法律而不是政治驱动的”
检察官在9月份提交的文件中承认，特朗普取代了时任美国弗吉尼亚州东区检察官埃里克·西伯特(Erik Siebert)，消息人士称，西伯特拒绝对科米和纽约司法部长莱蒂夏·詹姆斯提起诉讼林赛·哈利根他是一名白宫助理和保险律师，以前从未起诉过任何案件。
这些事件发生在特朗普的真实社交账户上的一篇帖子之后，特朗普在帖子中敦促司法部长帕姆·邦迪“现在就行动!!!"起诉科米，詹姆斯和参议员亚当·希夫。
科米被起诉的三项罪名中有两项是哈利根在任命后三天提出的——在美国广播公司新闻报道她被起诉后给了一份备忘录办公室的职业检察官告诉她，没有针对科米的可证实的案件。
在周一提交的文件中，检察官认为科米的律师没有提供直接证据表明哈利根对科米本人有任何偏见或个人敌意。
他们进一步辩称，特朗普的社交媒体帖子不符合表明特朗普希望科米因行使其宪法权利而被起诉的标准。
“总统的社交媒体帖子中没有一条表示希望被告因行使第一修正案权利而受到惩罚。远非如此。总统的社交媒体帖子清楚地表明了他认为被告应该被起诉的原因:文件说，他认为被告有罪。“这不是报复的表现。”
检察官周一还分别对科米的律师对哈利根担任美国检察官的合法性提出的质疑做出了回应。这些辩论定于11月13日在弗吉尼亚州亚历山大举行，此前在其他几个地区，法官已经取消了特朗普安插的检察官。
Prosecutors urge judge to reject ex-FBI Director James Comey's claim he's being 'vindictively' prosecuted
Federal prosecutors on Monday urged the federal judge overseeing former FBI Director James Comey's criminal case to reject arguments from Comey that he isbeing "vindictively" prosecutedat the order of President Donald Trump, in a court filing that directly defended Trump's social media posts calling for Comey's prosecution.
"Through a mix of news reports, social media posts, and speculation, the defendant weaves a tale of what he calls 'glaring constitutional violations' that resulted in his indictment for making a false statement to Congress and obstructing a Congressional investigation," prosecutors said in the filing. "When the rigorous legal standard is applied to the facts here, it is clear that the defendant has failed to show the Constitution requires the Court to take the extraordinary step of dismissing this case."
Throughout the filing, prosecutors repeatedly stand by Trump's calls for Comey to face prosecution for allegedly leaking to the news media through an associate.
They further argue that a judge taking the extraordinary step of dismissing Comey's case before trial would be an unacceptable encroachment on the powers of the executive branch, and that Trump's calls to prosecute Comey and others are rooted in his constitutional responsibility to "take care that the Laws be faithfully executed."
"The societal interests in this prosecution are readily apparent and overwhelming," prosecutors said. "The defendant is a former FBI Director who lied to Congress about his conduct while at the helm of the Nation's primary federal law-enforcement agency. His prosecution implicates societal interests of the highest order."
Comeypleaded not guiltyon Oct. 8 to one count of false statements and one count of obstruction of a congressional proceeding related to his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2020, amid what critics call Trump'scampaign of retributionagainst his perceived political foes. Vice President JD Vance has said any such prosecutions are "driven by law and not by politics."
Prosecutors acknowledge in the filing the fast-moving timeline in September when Trump moved to replace then-U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Erik Siebert -- who sources said had resisted bringing cases against Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James -- withLindsey Halligan, a White House aide and insurance lawyer who had never prosecuted a case before.
The events followed a post on Trump's Truth Social account in which Trump urged Attorney General Pam Bondi toact "NOW!!!"to prosecute Comey, James and Sen. Adam Schiff.
Comey was indicted on two of three counts sought by Halligan just three days after her appointment -- after ABC News reported she wasgiven a memoby career prosecutors in the office informing her that there was no provable case against Comey.
In their filing Monday, prosecutors argued that Comey's attorneys have provided no direct evidence showing Halligan has displayed any bias or personal animosity towards Comey himself.
They further argued that Trump's social media posts didn't meet the standard of showing that Trump wanted Comey prosecuted for exercising his constitutional rights.
"None of the President's social-media posts express a desire for the defendant to be penalized for exercising his First Amendment rights.Far from it.The President's social-media posts are clear on why he thinks the defendant should be prosecuted:he thinks the defendant is 'guilty as hell,' the filing said. "That is not an expression of vindictiveness."
Prosecutors also separately filed their response Monday to a challenge from Comey's attorneys to the validity of Halligan's appointment as U.S. attorney. Those arguments, which have previously fallen short in several other districts where judges have removed Trump-installed prosecutors, are set for Nov. 13 in Alexandria, Virginia.
