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The Wild James Comey Seashell Case
Declassified with Julie Kelly ^ | 22 Aug, 2026 | Julie Kelly

Posted on 08/25/2026 5:40:03 AM PDT by MtnClimber

How fitting that the federal case against the performative former FBI Director is surrounded by drama and deception. Just like his corrupt stint at the FBI.

Regardless of what one thinks about the Department of Justice’s prosecution of disgraced former FBI Director James Comey over posting a threatening seashell formation in May 2025—gotta admit, this case is pretty wild so far.

And it’s fitting for Comey, who has a flair for the dramatic. From hiding in a set of blue curtains in the White House to try to “avoid” President Trump and producing cheesy videos professing his love of Taylor Swift (among other embarrassments) to using his besties to plant positive news stories about himself to complicit reporters, Comey craves attention just like all good megalomaniacs do; Showtime even turned his 2018 memoir into a mini series, where veteran actor Jeff Daniels played the role of Comey. (Remember when Comey was busted for using the name of 20th Century theologian Reinhold Niebuhr for his anonymous email account?)

So it’s only appropriate that the federal criminal case against him now involves a former mob boss; a disgruntled relative cooperating with the government; and revelations that, contrary to Comey’s story, he and his wife likely made the shell formation rather than “stumbled” upon it during a beach walk. In fact, one of his fiction books—where some character usually represents a far better version of Comey himself—is part of the case, with prosecutors tying parts of the plotline to the threat-by-shell.

Another Comey Fabrication? No Way!

The drama began on May 15, 2025. Comey and his wife, Patrice, were vacationing in North Carolina and decided to go for a stroll along the seashore when, low and behold!, the Comeys just happened to notice a bunch of shells assembled to make “86 47.” Comey took a photo of the formation and posted it on his Instagram account—where all totally normal 65-year-old men play on social media—with the caption, “Cool formation on my beach walk.”

The post, according to new disclosures, prompted an unidentified relative of Patrice to finally cut them off.

Comey, allegedly in response to the relative’s text and growing outrage on social media, deleted the post later that day, professing he meant no harm. But the DOJ nonetheless opened an investigation; last April, a grand jury in North Carolina returned a two-count indictment charging Comey with making threats against the president. He was arrested on April 29, 2026.

Comey had this to say in response: [video at link]

But Comey’s account of what happened that day always sounded suspicious—largely due to the fact it was coming out of Comey’s mouth. (Keep in mind—all of this went down just a few days before the release of Comey’s latest book, “FDR Drive.” The stunt and resulting hubbub resulted in sweet TV appearances so he could plus his latest.)

A filing by the DOJ this week appears to suggest the Comeys may have made the shell formation after going to a remote area of the shore to do so. “[There] is also reason to doubt his story and therefore his overarching credibility,” prosecutors wrote in an August 18 filing to oppose Comey’s request for a special hearing on the lead FBI investigator. “The shells were located four miles down the beach from the beachfront property where Comey was staying, in an area separated from the ocean by a sand dune. And there is no evidence that anyone else arranged, photographed, or even saw the shells.”

Wait, you mean JIM COMEY LIED ABOUT SOMETHING? Impossible.

Further, evidence collected off the Comeys devices showed that Patrice—a hardcore Democrat and bona fide Trump hater who attended the Women’s March in January 2017 with their daughters to protest the the new president despite the fact her husband was FBI Director at the time—looked up the slang definition for “86” and sent a screenshot of it to her husband.

Two minutes later, Comey made his infamous Instagram post.

Comey’s all-star legal team now is asking U.S. District Court Judge Louise Flanagan, a George W. Bush appointee, to dismiss the case on the basis the indictment represents a selective and vindictive prosecution and a omits a “true threat.” (Those defense motions are here and here.) Defense attorneys also pushed back on any suggestion the Comeys made the formation: “Although Mr. Comey did not know who created the arrangement, Mr. Comey came to understand the phrase ‘86 47’ as a clever way of expressing political opposition to President Trump. Mr. Comey’s description of the shell formation as ‘[c]ool’ communicated his admiration for the way in which an anonymous person criticized President Trump.”

Suuuure.

Bring in the Bull

In an interesting twist, the FBI interviewed Salvatore “Sammy the Bull” Gravano in May seeking his opinion as to whether Comey would have known “86” represented a threat against the president. Gravano was once the underboss of the Gambino mob family; Comey and his now defense attorney Patrick Fitzgerald led the government’s case against John Gambino as prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York in the 1990s. Gravano turned on the family and became a cooperating witness.

But he had plenty to say about Comey’s potential foreknowledge about the meaning of “86”, which strangely was included in a defense motion. “Mr. Gravano stated his belief that Mr. Comey had to know what the term ‘86’ meant ‘as it related to killing someone,’” Fitzgerald wrote in a July affidavit. “Gravano also stated that he was ‘fairly certain it would be difficult to find the term ‘86’ documented in law enforcement/FBI files because members of organized crime families refrained from using terms such as ‘86’ that were commonly used in day-to-day business in the presence of law enforcement officers.”

Gravano told investigators Comey’s “post was a call for violence against President Trump,” he did not believe the post meant “Mr. Comey would personally kill President Trump.”

Gravano, who left the witness protection program in 1995 then got himself arrested and sent to prison again, is now a podcaster.

With such a cast of characters—Comey’s lawyers also attempted to discredit Patrice’s unidentified relative as being a recent rehab patient—one can only imagine the circus that will be Comey’s October trial in North Carolina.

And the attention-starved former fed wouldn’t want it any other way.


TOPICS: Society
KEYWORDS: leftism

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1 posted on 08/25/2026 5:40:03 AM PDT by MtnClimber
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To: MtnClimber

I wonder what the betting markets say about the odds of Comey being indicted and convicted?


2 posted on 08/25/2026 5:40:19 AM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber

I doubt that he will be convicted, but in his case, we will probably have to accept that the process is the punishment. Granted, in his case, that punishment seems to hit him where he is most sensitive, even if we would rather see him incarcerated and/or fined.


3 posted on 08/25/2026 5:58:28 AM PDT by rlmorel (Factio Communistica Sinensis Delenda Est)
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To: MtnClimber

The man has never explained just WHY, if he didn’t create the message with the shells, he found it interesting enough to take a picture of it!


4 posted on 08/25/2026 6:14:28 AM PDT by Thank You Rush
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To: MtnClimber

Comey is a far left Tide Pod sucker. A real idiot.


5 posted on 08/25/2026 6:39:43 AM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (Socialism is the same clown show that gave us out of control global illegal immigration.)
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To: Thank You Rush

James Comey’s new book, “FDR Drive,” features a plot where a character sends coded messages that incite violence against political rivals. This theme is being referenced in the context of Comey’s Instagram post of seashells arranged to say “8647,” which prosecutors argue could be interpreted as a threat against President Trump.


6 posted on 08/25/2026 6:46:01 AM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber

7 posted on 08/25/2026 6:59:51 AM PDT by dfwgator ("I am Charlie Kirk!")
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To: MtnClimber

The device trail will prove he created the 86 47. Comey is done!!


8 posted on 08/25/2026 7:44:51 AM PDT by Racketeer
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To: MtnClimber

I guess one of the big questions surrounding the ‘8647’ imagery would be: is this incident well-known enough to incite action amongst the leftist crazies? Tuff call ...


9 posted on 08/25/2026 7:53:08 AM PDT by ByteMercenary (Election 2020 was stolen by mail-in voting. Mail-in voting and RCV counting should be abolished.)
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To: ByteMercenary

“”I guess one of the big questions surrounding the ‘8647’ imagery would be: is this incident well-known enough to incite action amongst the leftist crazies? Tuff call ...I guess one of the big questions surrounding the ‘8647’ imagery would be: is this incident well-known enough to incite action amongst the leftist crazies? Tuff call ...””

***

I would say that ....considering the media hubub this incident caused.... yeah. It would be enough to “incite” some to “”try again””, which is exactly what Comey’s intent was. He is the epitomy of a Deep State Goon and those of his ilk know exactly what that term means and what his message was. The media attention drawn to it sent the message of what “86 47” was and the damage was done, as intended.


10 posted on 08/25/2026 7:57:10 AM PDT by Danie_2023 (I'm America First, but I stand by Israel and against 'anyone' that acts against America or Israel.)
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To: MtnClimber

.


11 posted on 08/25/2026 9:17:28 AM PDT by redinIllinois (Pro-life, accountant, gun-totin' Grandma - multi issue vor in)
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To: ByteMercenary

Would they put Trump on trial if he posted 8646?


12 posted on 08/25/2026 10:14:59 AM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber
Would they put Trump on trial if he posted 8646?

Yes, likely an impeachment trial.

13 posted on 08/25/2026 10:20:02 AM PDT by 1Old Pro
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To: Thank You Rush

A very good point. And, what made it interesting to him if he didn’t know what 86 meant. Without that knowledge is it is just four numbers that could mean eight thousand six hundred and fourty seven.


14 posted on 08/25/2026 10:57:58 AM PDT by falcon99 ( )
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