Federal Grand Jury Subpoena Targets James Comey’s Former Adviser

Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of Florida have issued a grand-jury subpoena compelling Daniel C. Richman, a Columbia University law professor and former adviser to former FBI Director James Comey, to testify. The subpoena is part of a renewed investigation into whether Comey used Richman to leak classified or sensitive information to the media. The investigation is being led by former U.S. attorney Joe DiGenova, who took over the probe after it was expanded beyond earlier inquiries targeting former CIA Director John Brennan.

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The current subpoena revives longstanding claims that Comey, after being dismissed by President Donald Trump, shared at least one memo describing his conversations with the president with Richman, who then passed the memo to a New York Times reporter. Earlier investigations—including a 2018 leak probe, a 2019–2020 lawsuit over the seizure of Richman’s electronic devices (won in a Washington, D.C., federal court in December of last year), and the Justice Department’s inspector-general and Special Counsel John Durham reviews—have examined similar allegations but have not resulted in charges against Comey.

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The Justice Department has not commented on the new subpoena. Richman has not responded to requests for comment from CNN.

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If prosecutors decide to bring charges based on the subpoena’s testimony, it would represent a third federal prosecution attempt against Comey, who already faces two counts related to alleged threats against President Trump and could face up to ten years in prison if convicted. The subpoena also signals that the Florida grand-jury probe, originally framed as a “grand conspiracy” case linking investigations from 2016 to 2024, is widening its focus beyond former intelligence officials to include alleged leaks involving the New York Times.

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