James Comey, the former director of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), has entered a plea of not guilty to charges of making false statements to lawmakers and obstructing a congressional proceeding. The plea was submitted on his behalf by his attorney, Patrick Fitzgerald, in a federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, on Wednesday. Fitzgerald argued that the case should be dismissed, citing political targeting due to Comey’s criticism of former President Donald Trump. The indictment followed Trump’s public urging of his attorney general to take legal action against Comey. A trial date has been set for January 5, with Comey’s legal team seeking a swift resolution. Fitzgerald also indicated plans to file motions to dismiss the case, claiming the prosecution is vindictive and that the appointment of the US attorney overseeing the case was unlawful. The case was initially handled by Erik Siebert, a Virginia prosecutor who resigned under pressure from Trump after failing to bring criminal charges against another political adversary, New York Attorney General Letitia James. Trump subsequently appointed Lindsey Halligan to take over the case. Comey appeared in good spirits during the court proceedings, accompanied by his wife, Patrice Failor, and daughter Maureen Comey, a federal prosecutor who was recently dismissed by the Trump administration. Comey, who served as FBI Director from 2013 to 2017, was fired early in Trump’s presidency while leading an investigation into Russian election interference and potential links to Trump’s campaign. His tenure was marked by controversy, including his announcement of an investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server just days before the 2016 presidential election. Since leaving government, Comey has been a vocal critic of Trump. The charges against him stem from allegations that he lied to Congress during a 2020 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing about the FBI’s investigations into Clinton and Russia. Prosecutors also accuse him of obstructing the panel. In a video posted to Instagram after his indictment, Comey maintained his innocence and accused Trump of behaving like a ‘tyrant,’ vowing to stand up to him. The charges were filed after Trump publicly demanded his attorney general prosecute Comey.