Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Wednesday denied that President Donald Trump directed the Justice Department to prosecute former FBI Director James Comey for a second time, saying the investigation has been ongoing for almost a year.

The two-count indictment by a grand jury stems from a May 2025 Instagram post by Comey featuring seashells arranged to spell “86 47.” The number “86” is a term the restaurant industry uses when referring to out-of-stock items or to “get rid of” something, and some Republicans interpreted it as a threat against Trump. And “47” allegedly referred to Trump, who is the 47th president in his second term.