In a letter dated June 30, 2023, Tennessee Republican Congressman Andy Ogles requested that the Secret Service and the FBI investigate Comey for allegedly posting “8647” on social media contrary to federal laws. The letter was addressed to Secret Service Director Sean Curran, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Deputy Director Dan Bongino, with all three requested to coordinate investigation. In his request, Ogles cited 18 U.S.C. § 871 (threats against the President) and 18 U.S.C. § 875 (interstate communications containing threats) as grounds for investigation.
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The contention arises from Comey’s recent post, which Ogles views narrowly as a coded message. “’86’ is universally known as a slang term for ‘eliminate’ or ‘kill’; ’47’ is a reference to President Donald Trump, who is the 47th President of the United States,” Ogles explained. He thus believes that juxtaposing these numbers constitutes a veiled incitement to violence against a sitting president.
“Given Mr. Comey’s former leadership of the FBI, the stakes are even higher,” Ogles wrote. “His influence extends well beyond the general public. It is reasonable to assume that his online followers include current or former Bureau employees—individuals who may view his commentary as carrying an insider’s weight or implicit direction.”
I just sent a letter to Secret Service Director Sean Curran and FBI Director Kash Patel, urging an immediate joint investigation into former FBI Director James Comey for a disturbing social media post in which he called to “86” President Trump.
The letter requests a formal… pic.twitter.com/mJLp22WNGZ
— Rep. Andy Ogles (@RepOgles) May 16, 2025
Ogles demanded the FBI investigate Comey’s access to classified information or if he still retained security clearances, and if such access is warranted in the aftermath of this occurrence.
Online reaction was divided. Some, including one user by the name of Lemon Water had said, “Now there is probable cause,” while others dismissed the accusations as an overreach. The Real Lincoln Project commented, “Look, I’m no Comey fan, but I don’t think the guy intended to insinuate Trump should be iced.”
Opposing the investigation claim that it is politically motivated. “Good luck with this,” Travis Fleming chirped sarcastically, posting photos of merchandise referencing the numbers in question in the same way toward Trump. Meanwhile, Jodi Smith dubbed Ogles “the dirtiest Congressman since Santos,” referring to scandal-ridden former Congressman George Santos.
The matter also melded into a conversation on coded language in political discourse. Pattie Gardenhire said, “Even the news media tried to pass it off by saying 86 was a common restaurant code,” implying a more subjective interpretation of Comey’s tweet.
Comey is a vocal critic of Trump ever since his firing from the Chairmanship and directorship of the FBI, a post he held from 2013 to 2017. Comey’s rocky relationship with the former President is filled with overseeing the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails and subsequently being centrally involved in the Russia probe.
No public replies have come from either Comey or the agencies named in the letter, so far. The situation raises questions on how far political speech can go and whether an ambiguous post can indeed or should be regarded as criminal threats.
The Secret Service and FBI have not yet said whether they are proceeding with an investigation, but the dispute has already brought back the tensions between Trump loyalists and detractors. Will this one make it to legal proceedings, or will it perish as another social media flaming?
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For now, the stage is set online with a massive scrolling live-text storm on intent, free speech, and the increasing indistinctness between political rhetoric and putative threats. And right in the middle of all of it are Comey’s cryptic numbers: fuel for speculation, outrage, and in some circles, genuine concern.
