A longtime adviser to former FBI Director James Comey has reportedly been called before a federal grand jury as investigators examine allegations tied to Comey, including claims involving threats against President Donald Trump’s life.
The subpoena, issued Monday, seeks information from Comey’s close friend and adviser while authorities investigate whether the former FBI chief leaked classified information, Fox News reported, citing multiple law enforcement sources.
The grand jury action is aimed at Daniel Richman and suggests officials at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) have revived scrutiny of alleged leaks to the New York Times.
Daniel Richman testifies before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary on September 18, 2007, in Washington, DC. (Stephanie Kuykendal/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Federal authorities examined the matter during President Trump’s first term, but the inquiry was closed after former President Joe Biden (D) entered the White House.
Richman “played a central role in the initial investigation into the leak in 2018,” and he later filed a lawsuit claiming his Fourth Amendment rights were violated when material from his devices was seized during later investigations, the Fox article continued:
Prosecutors had relied on the files to indict Comey on charges of making false statements and obstructing Congress in connection with his 2020 testimony on FBI officials anonymously giving information to news outlets.
The indictment accused Richman, previously a special FBI employee, of communicating with reporters about investigations into 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in that year’s election loss to President Donald Trump.
In May 2025, Comey deleted an Instagram post that called to “86 47,” which some took to mean a threat against Trump, – News reported, noting the message was seen in an arrangement of seashells on a beach. Comey was later indicted for allegedly threatening the president’s life.
U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said in May the indictment against Comey was about more than the Instagram post.
“This is not just about a single Instagram post. This is about a body of evidence that the grand jury collected over the series of about 11 months. That evidence was presented to the grand jury. And it’s not the government. It’s not the Department of Justice. It’s not Todd Blanche that returns an indictment against James Comey. It’s the grand jury,” he explained.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, right, during a news conference at the Department of Justice, Wednesday, August 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) in May said Comey lied to Congress, adding, “This is a guy who took classified information out of the FBI and lied about it. This is a guy who leaked to the media sensitive FBI material — lied about it. This is a guy who lied to a court to get wire taps. He lies, he lies, he lies. He cheats, he steals. This is a bad dude, and he ought to get everything that’s coming to him.”
Comey recently asked a judge to drop the charges against him while arguing the “86 47” post was political speech and not a threat on President Trump, who has survived several assassination attempts.