If found guilty, he could face up to five years in prison.
Trump fired Mr Comey early into his first term in office in 2017 as the FBI was investigating Russian interference, a probe that later found the Trump campaign did not co-ordinate with the Kremlin in the election. Mr Comey has been a target of Trump’s ire since that time.
The charges against Mr Comey were filed just days before the five-year statute of limitations would have expired and days after the president appointed a new top prosecutor to the region – Lindsey Halligan, who previously worked as Trump’s personal attorney.
Trump appointed Halligan after expressing frustration that “nothing is being done” to his political adversaries. In a public post on social media, he called on US Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate Mr Comey along with New York Attorney General Letitia James and Democratic Senator Adam Schiff, who oversaw his first impeachment trial.
“We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility,” Trump said in the post.
It’s unclear if the plans to bring in Comey with FBI agents will move forward. His attorneys were reportedly planning to travel with Mr Comey to his court arraignment – a more common move for a non-violent criminal case.
The BBC has reached out to his attorneys.
