Comey entered the plea through his lawyer and longtime friend, former senior Department of Justice prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, at an initial hearing in a federal court in Alexandria, Virginia. Comey sat stone-faced, staring straight ahead, through most of the hearing. When asked to stand, he stood ramrod straight with his hands at his sides, looking directly at the judge. He didn't say a word.
"It is the honor of my life to represent Mr. Comey in this matter," Fitzgerald said.
The proceeding – which would for most other defendants be routine – took only minutes, but it jump-started a criminal process that could last months or years. The case has special significance because it has engendered widespread concern that Trump is politicizing the DOJ and using it to go after his enemies.