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Ex- FBI chief James the ex-FBI chief has entered an innocent plea to providing misleading information to congressional representatives and impeding a lawmaking procedure.

The former director's lawyer filed the answer acting as his counsel in a federal court in Alexandria, Virginia on Wednesday.

Patrick Fitzgerald declared he would attempt to have the proceedings terminated for multiple causes including that his the accused, a critic of President Donald Trump, was being selectively prosecuted.

The former director was indicted just days after the former president urged his top legal official to proceed against him.

Legal Proceedings

During the hearing on mid-week, his attorney Mr Fitzgerald told the magistrate they planned to file several motions to terminate the legal matter before a court case, arguing the legal action was retaliatory and that a government lawyer was unlawfully assigned to take over the case.

James Comey's case was first managed by the original attorney, who resigned under pressure from Trump after his probe into an additional opponent - NY AG Letitia James - did not succeed to file indictments.

Legal Setting

Mr Comey seemed in optimistic frame of mind as he walked into the courtroom on Wednesday, chatting with his attorneys and making jokes. He was accompanied by his partner, his wife and child Maureen Comey, a US lawyer who the Trump administration terminated.

After listening to the magistrate recite his constitutional guarantees and the dual charges against him in court on Wednesday, James Comey was questioned if he grasped the allegations.

"Yes your honour. Thank you," he told the proceedings.

Previous Events

Mr Comey was the chief of the Federal Bureau of Investigation from 2013 to 2017 and was dismissed about four months into Trump's first term as commander-in-chief. At the time, he was leading an investigation into Russian election interference and whether there were any relationships between Moscow and the presidential campaign.

While in office, the director triggered a counter-response from Democrats when he announced just shortly prior to the national vote that he was probing Democratic candidate Clinton's use of a non-governmental email account. Indictments against the candidate were not filed, causing negative feedback from conservative politicians as well.

Ongoing Accusations

Prosecutors claim Mr Comey lied to US lawmakers during a congressional hearing in September 2020 when he was being questioned about both the email probe as well as the election interference investigation. They claim he misled the Senate by saying he had not approved someone at the FBI to release to news outlets data about the agency probes.

Legal representatives also charge Mr Comey of "wrongfully trying to sway, hinder and impede" the legislative group by making false statements to it.

Public Statements

Via social media James Comey published to his online platform after he was charged, he said he was wrongly accused and alleged the former president of conducting himself like a "tyrant".

"We have known for a long time that there are costs to opposing Donald Trump," he said. "We will not live on our kneeling."

"I am not guilty," he continued. "Thus initiate a legal proceeding."

The charges against the former director surfaced after Donald Trump published on online platforms insisting on his top legal official, the attorney general, take legal action against the former director and additional individuals.