Comey moves to dismiss seashell case as ’86 47′ message was not a ‘true threat’

Former FBI Director James Comey on Monday asked the court to toss the case accusing him of threatening President Trump’s life, arguing that posting a picture of seashells spelling out “86 47” could not be considered a “true threat.”

The filing was made in the Eastern District of North Carolina where Comey visited the beach in 2025 and stumbled upon the message in the sand, which he then shared online.

“To justify this prosecution, the indictment alleges that Mr. Comey’s ‘86 47’ post constitutes a ‘true threat’ on the President’s life. That claim is contradicted by every possible source of meaning: dictionaries, context, precedent, and common sense,” Comey’s attorneys wrote in the filing.

“‘86’ simply means ‘get rid of’ or ‘eject’ and has no violent connotation except in the most uncommon usages.........

© The Hill