Comey set to appear in court in Justice Department case accusing him of lying to Congress – US Politics Live | US News
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Pope Leo asks US bishops to address Trump’s anti-immigration campaign
Pope Leo told American bishops visiting him at the Vatican on Wednesday that they must get tough on how immigrants are treated by President Donald Trump’s hard-line policies, in the latest push from a pope on the issue.
Leo, the first pope of the United States, received dozens of letters from immigrants describing their fears of deportation under the Trump administration’s policies during the meeting that included bishops and social workers from the US-Mexico border.
“It means a lot to all of us to know his personal desire for us to continue to speak out,” Mark Seitz, Bishop of El Paso, who participated in the meeting, told Reuters.
The Vatican did not immediately comment on the Pope’s meeting.
The case against former FBI Director James Comey comes as Attorney General Pam Bondi was questioned in the Senate yesterday over allegations that the Justice Department is being used as a weapon to go after Trump’s enemies.
Throughout the five-hour hearing, Bondi refused to talk about many of the administration’s controversial decisions, despite sustained questioning from Democrats. When pressed, she personally attacked several minority senators or cited the ongoing government shutdown to paint them as negligent.
“You voted for a government shutdown, and you’re sitting here. Our law enforcement officers aren’t getting paid,” Bondi responded when the committee’s top Democrat, Dick Durbin of Illinois, questioned the Trump administration’s justification for sending the National Guard to Chicago.
“I hope you love Chicago as much as you hate President Trump,” she continued, adding: “If you’re not going to protect your citizens, President Trump will.”
In his opening statement, Durbin described Bundy as having done lasting damage to the department charged with federal law enforcement.
He said: “What has happened since January 20, 2025, would make even President Nixon cringe. This is your legacy, Attorney General Bondy. In eight short months, you have radically transformed the Department of Justice and left a massive stain on American history. It will take decades to recover.”
Of particular concern to Democrats were the charges against Comey, which came after Trump publicly called on Bondi to indict his enemies and fire the veteran prosecutor who refused to prosecute the case.
The prosecutor avoided talking about the indictment, saying it was a “pending case,” but said it had been approved by “one of the most liberal grand juries in the country.”
Former FBI Director James Comey will stand trial on charges of lying to Congress
Good morning and welcome to our coverage of American politics with Former FBI Director James Comey is scheduled to make his first court appearance in a Justice Department criminal case accusing him of lying to Congress five years ago..
The trial is expected to be short, according to the Associated Press, but the moment is filled with historical significance given that the case has reinforced fears that the Justice Department will be used as a weapon in the pursuit of Donald Trump’s political enemies.
Comey is expected to plead not guilty in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, and defense lawyers will almost certainly move to dismiss the indictment before trial, perhaps by arguing that the case amounts to a selective or retaliatory prosecution.
The two-count indictment alleges that Comey made a false statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee on September 30, 2020, by denying that he had authorized an aide to serve as an anonymous source for the media, and that he had obstructed congressional proceedings.
Comey has denied any wrongdoing and said he looks forward to prosecution. The indictment did not identify the accomplice or mention information that might have been discussed with the media.
Although an indictment is usually just the beginning of a lengthy judicial process, the Justice Department hailed the development itself as a victory.
Trump administration officials will likely point to any conviction as evidence that the case is well-justified, but an acquittal or even dismissal may also be viewed as further support for their long-standing claim that the criminal justice system is stacked against them.
The judge randomly assigned to the case, Michael Nachmanoff, is an appointee of the Biden administration. This judge, known for his methodical preparation and calm temperament, has already caught the attention of the president, with Trump mocking him as “the crooked Joe Biden-appointed judge.”
You can read our report here and stay tuned to see how things are going:
We’ll also cover all the developments amid the National Guard’s arrival in Chicago and the ongoing government shutdown.
At the White House, Trump is scheduled to receive an intelligence briefing at 11 a.m. EST and participate in a roundtable on Antifa at 3 p.m.
In Egypt, an American delegation joined the ongoing indirect talks between Hamas and Israel about Trump’s plan for Gaza, with the latest news about the exchange of lists of hostages and prisoners.
In other developments:
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Donald Trump He met with the Canadian Prime Minister Mark CarneyThey jokingly pushed him to agree to the “merger” of the two countries. He also refused to rule out invoking the Insurrection Act to deploy troops on the streets of the United States, which may have made the prospect of joining the Union less attractive.
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Trump has indicated that he may not follow a law requiring furloughed government employees to receive back pay after the government shutdown ends.
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In a tense hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, the US Attorney General said, Pam BondiDemocrats accused him of weaponizing the US Department of Justice, “fundamentally transforming” the department, and leaving a “tremendous stain on American history” from which it will take “decades to recover.” [from]Bondi personally criticized Democratic lawmakers when faced with questions about the department’s enforcement efforts in Democratic-led cities.
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Speaker House Mike Johnson He said it was his decision to avoid swearing in the elected representative Adelita Grijalva The Arizona secretary had “nothing to do” with the fact that she would be the 218th signatory on a bipartisan discharge petition — to force the House of Representatives to vote on the full release of the Epstein files.
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Kristi NoemThe Secretary of Homeland Security visited an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) facility in Portland, Oregon, accompanied by conservative influencers. Portland police cleared the street outside before Noem arrived, keeping a handful of protesters, one dressed as a chicken and the other like a baby shark, at a distance.