Lead federal prosecutor in James Comey seashells photo case steps aside
The lead federal prosecutor in the case against former FBI Director James Comey has stepped aside. Matthew Petracca, who initiated the controversial indictment, is no longer involved, with Timothy Severo taking over the case. The indictment, which charges Comey over an Instagram photo, has faced significant criticism and may not survive legal challenges.
- ▪Matthew Petracca has stepped down from the case against James Comey.
- ▪The indictment accuses Comey of threatening President Trump through an Instagram photo of seashells.
- ▪Legal experts have criticized the case, suggesting it may be dismissed before trial.
3 outlets in our directory ran this story, first to last over 2 hours. All of the coverage we found sits in one bucket: lean left. That one-sidedness is itself worth noticing.
- ▪ Lead prosecutor leaves DOJ's case accusing James Comey of threatening Trump — CBS News — Top
- ▪ Lead prosecutor on Comey's 'seashells' case withdraws without explanation — ABC News — Top
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| Original publisher | NBC News — Top |
| Canonical URL | https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/lead-federal-prosecutor-james-comey-seashells-photo-case-steps-rcna345342 |
| Publication time | Fri, 29 May 2026 23:14:11 GMT |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-29T23:20:36.568Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-29T23:20:36.568Z |
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
BREAKING NEWSMay. 29, 2026, 11:14 PM UTCJustice DepartmentJustice DepartmentLead federal prosecutor in James Comey seashells photo case steps asideMatthew Petracca, a former Republican county committeeman, was the rookie federal prosecutor who brought the highly criticized case to a federal grand jury.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging former FBI Director James Comey over an Instagram photo he posted of seashells spelling out a message about President Donald Trump last year.@comey via Instagram; Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleBy Ryan J.
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