Former FBI director James Comey pleaded not guilty to felony charges in a case widely perceived as an escalation of President Donald Trump's retribution campaign against political opponents.

• Comey, 64, was indicted last month by a grand jury on charges of making false statements to Congress and obstructing a congressional proceeding.
• His lawyer, Patrick Fitzgerald, entered the plea in a Virginia federal courtroom and plans to file a motion seeking dismissal based on vindictive and selective prosecution.
• The charges stem from Comey's 2020 testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding the Russia probe, and he faces up to five years in prison if convicted.
• Trump, the first convicted felon to serve as US president, hailed the indictment after publicly urging Attorney General Pam Bondi to take action.
• The indictment took place after US Attorney Erik Siebert stepped down, reportedly due to insufficient evidence, and Trump replaced him with his former personal lawyer, Lindsey Halligan.