James Comey subpoenaed in DOJ investigation of Obama officials

Former FBI Director James Comey received a subpoena as part of a Justice Department probe into whether Obama administration officials broke the law during an earlier investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, according to multiple media reports.

Comey was previously prosecuted by the Trump administration for allegedly lying to Congress, but the case was dismissed after a judge determined the prosecutor who brought it was unlawfully appointed. The Justice Department has appealed that ruling.

The development follows allegations from National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard at a July 23 news briefing that the Obama administration pushed a "contrived narrative" that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help President Donald Trump. The same day, the Justice Department announced it was creating a "Strike Force" to assess the evidence and "investigate potential next legal steps."

Axios was the first of multiple media outlets to report on the subpoena to Comey, citing anonymous sources. The investigation is reportedly being led by a Florida federal prosecutor, U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones, a Trump appointee.

Within the past year, the DOJ has initiated multiple prosecutions after Trump openly called for specific targets of his to be charged. That includes its so-far failed prosecution against Comey, who was fired from the FBI by Trump in 2017.

That also includes a separate prosecution against New York Attorney General Letitia James, who brought a civil lawsuit against Trump in 2022. The case against her was dismissed through the same ruling that tossed out Comey's case, after a judge determined the prosecutor who secured the charges was serving unlawfully.

This story has been updated with additional information.