James Comey case jeopardizes Americans' free speech rights, retired judges warn

The Trump administration's case against former FBI Director James Comey should be a warning sign to Americans, 42 former judges wrote in an open letter first obtained by NBC News.

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration's case against former FBI Director James Comey should be a warning sign to Americans, 42 retired judges wrote in an open letter first obtained by NBC News.

In their letter, the former federal and state judges warned that the “rights and liberties of every American are in grave danger today, as President Donald Trump continues to corruptly abuse the power of his office by directing the United States Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to target his critics and his perceived political enemies for investigation and criminal prosecution.”

“All Americans have an obligation as citizens of this great country to speak out against this unprecedented attack on our freedom of speech and to demand that Donald Trump’s attacks on our right to speak freely without fear of being persecuted and prosecuted by our government must stop now,” they added.

The letter includes a mix of retired federal and state-level judges, including 10 who were either appointed by Republicans or elected as Republicans. The effort was organized by the Democracy Defenders Fund, a nonpartisan group.

“The Trump Administration will continue to deliver the truth to the American people and restore integrity to our justice system. It is the ultimate hypocrisy to accuse President Trump of what Joe Biden actively did throughout his presidency: engaging in lawfare against his political opponents. The indictment against Comey, by a grand jury, speaks for itself, and the Trump Administration looks forward to fair proceedings in the courts,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement.