Presidents traditionally keep their distance from individual criminal cases. In his second term, Donald Trump has publicly demanded charges against political opponents, installed loyalists in key prosecutor's offices and used his clemency power generously for allies and donors.

The results have been mixed. Prosecutors brought charges against former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James and former national security adviser John Bolton. But a judge threw out the first Comey and James cases, grand juries refused to re-indict James, and the attorney general who oversaw the push was fired.

The cases at a glance

Person Charge Status (October 2026)
James Comey Lying to Congress (2025); threats against the president (2026) First case dismissed. Second case, over an Instagram post, set for trial Oct. 21, 2026.
Letitia James Bank fraud over a mortgage Dismissed in November 2025; grand juries declined to re-indict.
John Bolton Mishandling classified information (18 counts) Pleaded not guilty; pretrial proceedings continue in Maryland.
George Santos Fraud and identity theft Sentence commuted after less than three months in prison.
Changpeng Zhao Failing to maintain anti-money-laundering controls Pardoned in October 2025.

Timeline

January 20, 2025 — The January 6 pardons

On his first day back in office, Trump pardoned or commuted the sentences of nearly everyone charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, signaling how he intended to use his clemency power.

September 2025 — "Justice must be served"

In a Truth Social post addressed to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Trump demanded prosecutions of Comey, James and Sen. Adam Schiff. The U.S. attorney in Virginia's Eastern District resigned under pressure, and Trump installed Lindsey Halligan, a White House aide with no prosecutorial experience. Within days, Halligan obtained an indictment accusing Comey of lying to Congress in 2020 testimony.

October 9, 2025 — Letitia James indicted

A grand jury indicted James — who won a civil fraud judgment against Trump's company in 2024 — on charges of bank fraud and false statements tied to a 2020 mortgage on a home in Norfolk, Virginia. James called the charges "baseless" and political retribution.

October 16, 2025 — Bolton indicted

Bolton, Trump's former national security adviser turned critic, was charged with 18 counts of transmitting and retaining national defense information, related to diary-like notes he shared with relatives. He pleaded not guilty (AP, via Anchorage Daily News). Unlike the Comey and James cases, the investigation had begun under the Biden administration.

October 17, 2025 — Santos goes free

Trump commuted the 87-month sentence of George Santos, the former New York congressman expelled from the House in 2023, who had pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Santos had served less than three months, and the commutation also wiped out more than $370,000 in restitution, though his conviction stands. Trump called Santos "somewhat of a 'rogue'" (ABC7 New York).

October 21, 2025 — A nominee withdraws

Paul Ingrassia withdrew his nomination to lead the Office of Special Counsel, the agency that protects federal whistleblowers, after Politico published group-chat messages in which he made racist remarks and said he had "a Nazi streak." Republican senators had said they would not support him (Bloomberg Law). Politico later reported that he had been given a senior legal job at the General Services Administration.

October 23, 2025 — Binance founder pardoned

Trump pardoned Changpeng Zhao, who founded the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange and served four months in prison after pleading guilty to failing to maintain an anti-money-laundering program. The White House said there were no allegations of fraud or identifiable victims. Critics noted Zhao's ties to World Liberty Financial, the Trump family's crypto venture: a fund backed by the United Arab Emirates used $2 billion of the venture's stablecoin to buy a stake in Binance (PBS NewsHour).

October 25, 2025 — The FBI director's flight

FBI Director Kash Patel flew on a government jet to State College, Pennsylvania, where his girlfriend, country singer Alexis Wilkins, was performing at a wrestling event, then on to Nashville. FBI directors must fly government planes for security reasons but are supposed to reimburse personal travel; Patel said the coverage was "baseless" (Yahoo News).

November 24, 2025 — Both cases tossed

U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie dismissed the Comey and James indictments, ruling that Halligan had been unlawfully appointed as interim U.S. attorney (CNN). The dismissals were without prejudice, meaning prosecutors could try again.

December 2025 — Grand juries say no

A grand jury in Norfolk declined to re-indict James on Dec. 4, a rare rebuke for prosecutors (CBS News). A second grand jury also refused. Efforts to revive the original Comey case ran into statute-of-limitations problems.

April 2, 2026 — Bondi fired

Trump removed Bondi after about 14 months, amid frustration over her leadership and her handling of the Epstein files, and named Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, his former defense lawyer, as acting attorney general (NPR).

April 28, 2026 — Comey charged again

A grand jury in North Carolina indicted Comey on two counts — threatening the president and transmitting a threat across state lines — over a since-deleted 2025 Instagram photo of seashells arranged to read "86 47." Trump's supporters read it as a call for violence; Comey said it was a beach photo and denies the charges (NPR, via Houston Public Media). His lawyers have asked the judge to dismiss the case on First Amendment grounds.

August 8, 2026 — Blanche confirmed

The Senate confirmed Blanche as attorney general 50–49, after a fight over a proposed $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization fund" tied to a settlement between the Justice Department and Trump. Republican Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski voted no, citing concerns about the department's independence (Axios; Michigan Public).

Where things stand now

  • Comey's second case is set for trial on Oct. 21, 2026, in New Bern, North Carolina, unless the judge grants his motion to dismiss (Sinclair, via KOMO).
  • Letitia James has not been re-charged, though prosecutors have reportedly opened a new investigation into her finances (Yahoo News).
  • Bolton's case is moving slowly because of the classified evidence involved; no trial date had been set as of the latest reporting (All Rise News).

Sources