Claims extracted
18
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
11%
2 of 18 hedged
("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
withheld
no quote in the article backed the model's score
Publisher signals
69/100
BBC News's corrections and
hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
4
Politics
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
- Published
Federal prosecutors have taken steps to charge ex-Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey with leaking national defence information, according to a court filing.
uncertain
prosecutors → publish → filing
It marks the third time the justice department has moved to bring criminal charges against Comey, a longtime critic of President Donald Trump.
asserted
department → mark → Trump
Few details are provided about the two counts in the three-page filing, but Comey's lawyers said in separate court papers that the case stemmed from an alleged disclosure of classified information to the New York Times in October 2016, while he was head of the FBI.
asserted
he → provide → FBI
Comey denied any wrongdoing in a video posted on Substack on Monday, calling the charges an "appalling abuse".
"
asserted
Comey → deny → charges
It would almost be funny if it weren't such an appalling abuse of the department of justice, one that we cannot become numb to," he said in the clip.
asserted
he → become → clip
"Nothing's changed with me - I'm still innocent, I'm still not afraid of these people and I still believe the independent federal judiciary."
asserted
I → change → judiciary
His lawyer, Patrick Fitzgerald, said in a statement that two different teams of prosecutors had investigated the alleged disclosure to the New York Times a decade ago during the first Trump administration.
"Both times the Government determined that no charges should be brought against anyone," he said.
asserted
he → say → anyone
The attorney said the court filing "purports to charge Mr Comey with crimes that he did not commit".
asserted
he → say → that
Comey was charged in Washington DC through a criminal information, which is a formal written charging document filed directly by a prosecutor.
asserted
which → charge → prosecutor
This is different to a criminal indictment, which must be approved by a grand jury, a group of citizens sworn in to review if evidence is strong enough to prosecute.
asserted
evidence → approve → citizens
Comey was fired by Trump during his first term, after the former FBI director opened an investigation into claims of Russian meddling in the US 2016 presidential election.
uncertain
director → fire → election
Since then, Trump has repeatedly called for his prosecution, and these charges are the administration's third attempt to do so.
asserted
charges → call → prosecution
Comey was first indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2025 on charges that he had lied to Congress during testimony and obstructed a congressional proceeding.
asserted
he → indict → proceeding
He pleaded not guilty the following month before the case was dismissed in November.
asserted
case → plead → November
In April 2026, Comey surrendered to authorities to face charges alleging that an image he briefly shared on social media posed a threat to Trump's life.
asserted
he → surrender → life
The case stemmed from a 2025 Instagram post by Comey, which contained a photo of seashells on a beach arranged to read "86 47".
asserted
which → stem → 47
"Eighty-six" is a slang term for "get rid of", and prosecutors allege it encourages violence against Trump, the 47th president.
asserted
it → rid → Trump
Comey denies any wrongdoing, saying he did not know what the numbers meant, and accusing the prosecution of political motivation.
asserted
numbers → deny → motivation