Federal grand jury subpoenas Daniel Richman in renewed James Comey leak investigation

Aug 31, 2026

A federal grand jury has subpoenaed Daniel Richman, a close adviser to former FBI Director James Comey, in a renewed investigation into whether Comey leaked classified memos about his meetings with Donald Trump to The New York Times. The subpoena signals a potential third attempt by the Justice Department to prosecute Comey, who already faces federal charges for allegedly threatening Trump in an Instagram post. The leak probe is linked to a broader Florida-based investigation into an alleged conspiracy against Trump.

Richman grand jury subpoena

▪A federal grand jury issued a subpoena on August 31, 2026, to Daniel Richman, a longtime friend and adviser to former FBI Director James Comey.
▪The grand jury subpoena requires Daniel Richman to testify in a renewed federal investigation into whether James Comey improperly leaked classified or sensitive information to the media.

Comey memo leak allegations

▪The renewed investigation focuses on memos James Comey wrote detailing his sensitive meetings and conversations with President Donald Trump during the early days of Trump's first administration.
▪Daniel Richman stated that the substance of the James Comey memo passed to The New York Times was not marked classified and remains unclassified to his knowledge.
▪After being fired as FBI director, James Comey shared at least one memo describing his conversations with Donald Trump with Daniel Richman, who then shared its contents with a New York Times reporter.

Prior leak investigations

▪In December 2025, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., ruled in favor of Daniel Richman in a lawsuit alleging prosecutors violated his Fourth Amendment rights by seizing electronic materials in 2019 and 2020.
▪The allegations regarding James Comey's leaks were investigated during Donald Trump's first presidential term but the inquiry was cut off when President Joe Biden entered office.

Durham special counsel findings

▪Special Counsel John Durham investigated the origins of the 2016 Russia interference probe and brought charges against three people, but did not find evidence to criminally prosecute James Comey.
▪Special Counsel John Durham criticized decisions made by James Comey and other top government officials but declined to recommend criminal prosecutions against them.

Concurrent Comey prosecutions

▪James Comey faces two federal charges and up to 10 years in prison for allegedly threatening Donald Trump via an Instagram post depicting seashells spelling "8647."
▪James Comey previously faced federal charges for allegedly making false statements to Congress, but a judge dismissed those charges in 2025.

Florida grand conspiracy probe

▪Former U.S. Attorney Joe DiGenova took over leadership of the Florida-based conspiracy probe after career prosecutors in southern Florida balked at the conspiracy theory.
▪Federal prosecutors in Florida have widened a probe into an alleged "grand conspiracy" against Donald Trump stretching from 2016 to 2024, which previously focused on former CIA Director John Brennan.