ALEXANDRIA, Virginia — Former FBI Director James Comey pleaded not guilty Wednesday morning to charges of making false statements and obstructing a 2020 congressional proceeding, as prosecutors signaled the case would introduce classified information in the discovery phase of legal proceedings.

The prosecution, led by U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan, argued this was a complicated case and pushed for more time before bringing it to trial. U.S. District Judge Michael Nachmanoff, an appointee of former President Joe Biden, raised skepticism about how complicated the two-charge indictment is, but he eventually agreed that a preliminary date for when the trial could begin is Jan. 5.