Former FBI Director James Comey was hit with two federal charges late Thursday, days after President Trump ramped up pressure on his Justice Department to prosecute his most prominent adversaries.

The counts stem from testimony Comey gave before the Senate in 2020 as it probed investigations into ties Trump’s 2016 campaign had with Russia, which the president has long decried as a “witch hunt.”

While Justice Department officials have portrayed the indictment as a step toward accountability, Comey said his “heart is broken” for the agency and that he is innocent.

Comey is set to be arraigned on Oct. 9 in federal court in Alexandria, Va. His case will be overseen by U.S. District Judge Michael Nachmanoff, an appointee of former President Biden.

Here are five things to know.

Comey faces obstruction, perjury charges

Comey’s indictment includes two counts: false statements to Congress and obstruction of a congressional proceeding.

The felonies each carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison, though if convicted, Comey would be a first-time offender who would likely receive a lesser punishment.

They stem from an exchange between Comey and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) during a Sept. 30, 2020 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.

Cruz asked Comey if he had ever authorized a leak about the FBI’s investigations into Hillary Clinton’s emails and connections between the Trump campaign and Russia.

The question zeroed in on conflicting accounts between Comey and his former deputy, Andrew McCabe, regarding a leak to The Wall Street Journal about the Clinton investigation days before the 2016 election.

McCabe has indicated Comey knew about and authorized the leak. Comey maintains he was unaware and that McCabe in a conversation after the story published implied he, too, wasn’t involved.

A 2018 inspector general report sided with Comey’s account, saying McCabe authorized the leak and “lacked candor” when he told his boss and later investigators that he........

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