The criminal case against former FBI Director James Comey took another unexpected turn this week after the federal prosecutor who helped bring the indictment stepped away from the case amid mounting legal scrutiny and criticism.
Matthew Petracca, a recently hired assistant U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of North Carolina, is no longer listed on the prosecution team handling the case against Comey, according to court filings.
Petracca’s departure comes just weeks after a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment against the former FBI director over a social media post that prosecutors claim constituted a threat against President Donald Trump.
Court records also show Petracca has withdrawn from several other criminal cases in recent days.
According to NBC News, Petracca had considered leaving the Justice Department altogether before ultimately returning after taking a week off.
Neither Petracca nor the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina immediately responded to requests for comment regarding the change.
The office is led by U.S. Attorney W. Ellis Boyle, who oversaw the controversial prosecution.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo has now assumed primary responsibility for the case.
Recent communications between prosecutors and Comey’s legal team were reportedly handled by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Phil Aubart rather than Petracca.
The indictment stems from an Instagram post made by Comey that featured seashells arranged on a beach to form the numbers “86 47.”
Federal prosecutors argued that a reasonable person could interpret the message as a threat directed toward Trump, the nation’s 47th president.
According to the indictment, the post represented “a serious expression of an intent to do harm to the President of the United States.”
The charging document itself does not explicitly define the meaning of the numbers.
