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Ex- FBI head James the ex-FBI chief has pleaded not guilty to giving untrue testimony to lawmakers and obstructing a legislative process.

The former director's lawyer submitted the answer on his behalf in a national courtroom in the Virginia city of Alexandria on Wednesday morning.

The defense lawyer announced he would try to have the proceedings terminated for several reasons including that his the accused, a opponent of Donald Trump, was being singled out.

James Comey was indicted just days after the former president pushed his attorney general to move forward against him.

Judicial Process

At the proceedings on mid-week, the defense counsel the legal representative told the magistrate they intended to file various petitions to dismiss the legal matter before a legal hearing, arguing the government's case was vindictive and that a US attorney was improperly assigned to assume control of the case.

James Comey's legal matter was first handled by Erik Siebert, who stepped down under pressure from Donald Trump after his probe into an additional rival - New York Attorney General Letitia James - failed to bring criminal charges.

Legal Setting

Mr Comey came across in good spirits as he walked into the legal venue on mid-week, conversing with his attorneys and being lighthearted. He was accompanied by his spouse, his wife and daughter Maureen, a US lawyer who the previous administration recently fired.

After listening to the judge state his rights and the pair of allegations against him in the courtroom on Wednesday, James Comey was inquired if he understood the accusations.

"Yes your honour. Thank you," he stated to the court.

Background Context

Mr Comey was the chief of the Federal Bureau of Investigation from 2013 to 2017 and was dismissed about a few months into Trump's first administration as commander-in-chief. At the period, he was overseeing an investigation into Russian election interference and whether there were any links between Moscow and the election effort.

Throughout his leadership, James Comey caused a counter-response from Democrats when he stated just days before the 2016 presidential election that he was probing political contender Clinton's use of a private email server. Legal actions against the candidate were not pursued, resulting in negative feedback from conservative politicians as well.

Present Charges

Prosecutors claim James Comey lied to US lawmakers during a congressional hearing in September 2020 when he was being interrogated about both the previous examination as well as the foreign influence inquiry. They allege he deceived the upper house by claiming he had not authorized a person at the Federal Bureau of Investigation to disclose to news outlets data about the agency probes.

Prosecutors also accuse James Comey of "improperly attempting to sway, hinder and delay" the legislative group by making false statements to it.

Individual Responses

In a video James Comey posted to his Instagram after he was accused, he declared he was innocent and alleged the former president of acting like a "dictator".

"My family and I have known for considerable time that there are consequences to standing up to Donald Trump," he commented. "We refuse to live on our knees."

"I'm innocent," he continued. "So let's have a legal proceeding."

These allegations against Mr Comey surfaced after Trump published on online platforms insisting on his top legal official, Ms Bondi, take legal action against James Comey and additional individuals.