James Comey's son-in-law resigns from Justice Department following ex-FBI chief's indictment
Troy Edwards resigned as a federal prosecutor shortly after his father-in-law, James Comey, was indicted. He cited upholding his oath to the Constitution. Edwards held a prestigious role in the National Security Section and was involved in high-profile cases, including the Oath Keepers trial.
James Comey’s son-in-law resigned as a federal prosecutor Thursday, minutes after the former FBI director was indicted, AP reported.
Troy Edwards quit his job “to uphold my oath to the Constitution and the country,” he wrote in a one-sentence resignation letter addressed to Lindsey Halligan, the newly appointed acting U.S. Attorney in Virginia’s Eastern District, the office that charged Comey and employed Edwards.
Also Read: James Comey indicted: Ex-FBI director faces charges of lying to Congress, obstruction of justice
Edwards was the deputy chief of the National Security Section, a prestigious role in a U.S. attorney’s office that covers the Pentagon and CIA headquarters, handling some of the highest-profile espionage cases.
He was on the team of prosecutors who convicted Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes of orchestrating a violent plot to storm the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to keep President Donald Trump in the White House after he lost the 2020 election.
Comey was charged with lying to Congress days after Trump appeared to urge his attorney general to prosecute the former FBI director and other perceived political enemies. Halligan had rushed to present the case to a grand jury this week before the five-year statute of limitations expired. She brought the charges days after the resignation of her predecessor, who had not charged Comey and had faced pressure to bring charges against another Trump target, New York Attorney General Letitia James, in a mortgage fraud investigation.
Comey said Thursday that he's innocent and welcomed a trial, adding he has “great confidence in the federal judicial system.”
Edwards was watching from the front row of the courtroom gallery when his wife’s father was indicted Thursday evening.
His resignation comes two months after the Justice Department fired Comey’s daughter, Maurene Comey, without explanation in July. She had been a veteran lawyer in the Southern District of New York, long considered the most elite federal prosecution office.
She sued the government this month to get her job back, saying her firing was for political reasons and was unconstitutional.
(With inputs from AP)
- The resignation highlights the tension between personal relationships and professional responsibilities in high-profile legal cases.
- Comey's indictment raises questions about political motivations behind legal actions.
- The story illustrates the ongoing repercussions of the January 6 Capitol riots and their legal aftermath.