Feds leaned on a famed mobster to build James Comey case
Federal investigators interviewed notorious former Gambino underboss Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano and consulted AI tools while building a threat case against former FBI director James Comey over an Instagram seashell photo reading "8647," according to a defense motion seeking dismissal for alleged vindictive prosecution.
Comey's lawyers argued in a Tuesday filing in federal court in North Carolina that the Justice Department's April indictment was not a good-faith application of the law. They said the case instead continues a years-long campaign by President Donald Trump to punish Comey for protected speech and personal animosity.
Key Takeaways
- Prosecutors charged James Comey over a May 2025 Instagram photo of seashells spelling "8647," calling it a threat on Trump's life.
- Defense filings say agents interviewed Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano and used ChatGPT and Google AI while hunting for proof that "86" meant violence.
- Secret Service notes show Trump sought investigation updates, and Comey's phone was tracked despite a supervisor calling a warrantless ping a "bad idea."
- Comey deleted the post and said he never intended a violent threat; his team seeks dismissal for vindictive and selective prosecution.
What did James Comey post, and why was he charged?
Comey told investigators he found shells arranged as "8647" while vacationing with his wife in eastern North Carolina in May 2025 and posted the photo to Instagram. "86" is often slang for getting rid of something, and Trump is the 47th president.
The Justice Department said the post was a threat on the president's life. Comey later deleted it, saying a violent reading "never occurred to me" and that he opposes violence of any kind. More coverage of related investigations sits in our True Crime & Unsolved Mysteries hub.
How did agents try to prove "86" meant violence?
According to The Guardian's report on the filing, the FBI searched Gambino case records tied to Comey's earlier work as a federal prosecutor and found no references to "86." Broader FBI database searches were inconclusive.
After the April indictment, agents still sought evidence Comey would have understood "86" violently. Two former FBI agents familiar with mafia cases could not say definitively that mobsters used the term that way. Agents also queried ChatGPT and Google AI, which did not return definitive results.
Officials then interviewed Gravano, a former Gambino underboss who confessed to nearly 20 murders and once cooperated in a case Comey prosecuted. He said he believed "86" meant "to get rid of someone" but did not recall discussing it with Comey. Gravano interpreted the photo as "let's kill Trump," the filing said, yet did not take it to mean Comey would personally kill Trump.
Did Trump and the Secret Service push the probe?
Comey and his wife, Patrice, voluntarily spoke with Secret Service investigators. Internal documents show Trump requested updates while the inquiry was ongoing.
Even after a voluntary Washington interview, a supervisor was asked about pinging Comey's phone without a warrant on the drive back to North Carolina. The supervisor wrote it was a "bad idea," noting there was no imminent threat to life or limb. Notes later said the "#3 guy at DOJ" wanted an exigency ping. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said in a sworn affidavit that Comey's phone was ultimately tracked and the couple was followed.
Defense lawyers wrote that the seashell probe appeared to be going nowhere until Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle reinvigorated it. Comey also filed a separate motion arguing the post was protected speech, not a "true threat."