The Justice Department is pointing to an unusual piece of evidence in its case against former FBI Director James Comey: a political thriller written by Comey himself.
In court filings, federal prosecutors argued that Comey’s novel shows he understood how coded language can be used to encourage violence against political opponents. They say that understanding is relevant to his 2025 social media post displaying seashells arranged to spell out “86 47,” which prosecutors contend could reasonably be understood as a threat aimed at President Donald Trump.
The Justice Department made the argument while opposing Comey’s effort to have the criminal case dismissed. Comey has maintained that the prosecution is politically motivated and that his post was protected political expression rather than a threat.
Comey, who was dismissed as FBI director by Trump in 2017, faces charges involving an alleged threat against the president and the transmission of threatening communications. His defense has rejected the government’s interpretation of the post and challenged the basis for the prosecution.
A novel at the center of the argument
Prosecutors highlighted Comey’s legal thriller FDR Drive, published in May 2025. The book features a right-wing media figure whose coded rhetoric is portrayed as encouraging followers to target political adversaries.
According to the government, the similarities between the novel and Comey’s own online activity are significant. Prosecutors argue that Comey had demonstrated through his fiction that he understood how seemingly indirect language could carry a more violent meaning.
The timing has also drawn attention. The government noted that Comey released the book shortly after the Instagram post, and cited a message he sent to his literary agent in which he acknowledged that the controversy surrounding the post could help book sales, even though he said attracting that kind of attention was not his intention.
What did “86 47” mean?
The dispute centers on Comey’s May 2025 Instagram post, which showed seashells arranged in the shape of the numbers “86 47.”
“86” is slang commonly used to mean removing or getting rid of someone, while Trump was the 47th U.S. president. The combination had already appeared in political protests directed at Trump.
Comey later removed the post after it sparked widespread controversy. He said he encountered the shell arrangement while walking on a North Carolina beach with his wife and viewed it as a pointed political message. He has denied knowing that the phrase could be interpreted as advocating violence.
His defense has also sought to challenge the government’s claim that he knew “86” could carry a violent meaning, including evidence concerning his previous work involving organized crime cases in New York.
The prosecution, however, maintains that the surrounding circumstances and Comey’s own writing support its interpretation of the post.
The case now turns on a central question: whether “86 47” amounted to an unlawful threat or remained political expression protected by the First Amendment.:::
