Lead prosecutor leaves DOJ's case accusing James Comey of threatening Trump

Politics Lead prosecutor leaves DOJ's case accusing James Comey of threatening Trump by posting "86 47" in seashells By Joe Walsh Joe Walsh Senior Editor, Politics Joe Walsh is a senior editor for digital politics at CBS News. Joe previously covered breaking news for Forbes and local news in Boston. Read Full Bio Joe Walsh May 29, 2026 / 9:14 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google The federal prosecutor who signed an indictment accusing former FBI Director James Comey of threatening President Trump by posting an image of seashells arranged as "86 47" is no longer on the case, according to court papers filed late Friday.Comey — a frequent Trump critic — was charged in North Carolina last month. The indictment has drawn stiff criticism, and Comey's legal team has signaled that it plans to seek dismissal of the case on the grounds of selective and vindictive prosecution.Friday's court filing requests that Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Petracca, who was listed as the government's lead lawyer on the Comey case, be removed from the docket. Federal prosecutor Timothy Severo was swapped in.Petracca has also been taken off at least three other cases since last week, according to court filings, which do not specify why he is stepping aside. CBS News has reached out for comment to Petracca and the U.S. attorney's office for the Eastern District of North Carolina, which is overseeing the Comey case.NBC News was first to report on Petracca's departure from the case.The case against Comey, which is scheduled to go to trial in October, revolves around a May 2025 Instagram post by the former FBI chief that showed seashells forming the numbers "86 47" on a beach. Comey faced intense backlash at the time from Mr. Trump and his allies, who argued the use of the number "86" implied a desire to kill the 47th president. Merriam Webster defines "86" as a slang term that means "throw out" or "get rid of." Comey quickly deleted the photo and said he "didn't realize some...