FBI Weighs “Showy” Arrest of Former Director James Comey Amid Internal Rebellion

The FBI is reportedly preparing a public, high-profile arrest of its former Director James Comey, who was recently indicted for lying to Congress and obstructing a congressional proceeding — and the move has already caused internal turmoil, according to CBS News sources.

Comey, who once led the Bureau during some of the most politically charged investigations in modern history, now finds himself on the other side of federal power. A grand jury formally indicted him on September 25, and he’s scheduled to appear in federal court in Virginia on October 9. His legal team had initially agreed to a voluntary court appearance.

However, CBS reports that FBI leadership debated staging a dramatic “perp walk” instead — with “large, beefy” agents in tactical gear, Kevlar vests, and jackets clearly marked FBI. A senior source told the outlet that this was intended to be a visible display of accountability.

Yet the plan quickly ran into resistance. The supervisory special agent tasked with assembling the arrest team reportedly refused, calling the order “inappropriate and highly unusual” for a white-collar defendant. That agent has since been suspended for insubordination, sparking outrage and growing dissent within the Bureau.

Multiple supervisors have now declined to participate, leaving the FBI scrambling to form a replacement team before Comey’s scheduled court date.

Political Fallout and Legal Tensions

Comey’s indictment follows months of renewed scrutiny into his actions during the 2016 and 2017 investigations into Hillary Clinton’s emails and alleged Trump campaign ties. Prosecutors allege that Comey lied under oath during a Senate hearing when he denied authorizing FBI officials to leak information to the press. The indictment does not specify who was authorized or which leaks were involved, but Comey has publicly denied wrongdoing.

The developments come after significant upheaval inside the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, where Comey was charged. Lead prosecutor Erik Siebert resigned just two weeks before the indictment. President Donald J. Trump subsequently appointed Lindsey Halligan, his former personal attorney, to the position — and within days, Halligan convened a grand jury that brought charges against Comey.

According to Justice Department insiders, several staff members circulated a memo arguing that Comey should not be charged. Two senior prosecutors in the same office were reportedly fired soon afterward.

Double Standards in the Spotlight

The debate over whether to stage a “showy” arrest has reignited national debate over political bias in law enforcement. Even left-leaning commentators appear split. Former U.S. Attorney and MSNBC analyst Barb McQuade, who once defended the FBI’s pre-dawn raid on Roger Stone, suddenly shifted her stance.

“DOJ policy prohibits ‘perp walks,’ in which arrestees are paraded before the cameras,” McQuade said in 2025.
But in 2019, she defended the Stone raid, arguing, “Stone’s complaints about a ‘pre-dawn raid’ should not earn sympathy. This is how it is done when the FBI executes arrest and search warrants to prevent destruction of evidence.”

The glaring inconsistency did not go unnoticed.

FBI Leadership Responds

Current FBI Director Kash Patel fired back at McQuade and MSNBC on X (formerly Twitter):

“BREAKING: MSNBC still an ass clown factory of disinformation. Same circus animals that slobbered all over perp walks of Stone, Navarro, Bannon… MSNBC has no facts and no audience. In this @FBI, follow the chain of command or get relieved.”

Patel’s remarks underscore a broader sentiment within the Bureau under President Trump’s administration — a return to enforcing internal discipline and ending the culture of selective justice that defined prior years.

As the FBI faces mounting internal resistance, public skepticism, and a political firestorm, one question looms large:
Will the Bureau truly carry out the public arrest of James Comey, the man who once stood at its helm?