A new report from investigative reporter Paul Sperry reveals that in court documents, prosecutors are suggesting James Comey’s wife, Patrice, could have some culpability in the federal case against her husband for allegedly posting a threat, “86 47,” against President Donald Trump online.
James Comey has been indicted for that messaging, as “86” is generally understood to mean kill or destroy, while Trump is the nation’s 47th president.
Comey originally posted that message claiming he “found” some seashells on a beach laid out in those numbers.
Sperry has confirmed, “In a new court filing, prosecutors suggest James Comey’s wife Patrice deliberately misled investigators by omitting the fact she texted her husband a possible alibi just two minutes before he posted his ’86’ threat against President Trump, in the form of a Google screenshot of a benign definition for ’86.’ Federal investigators learned of her omission from search warrants to obtain iCloud data and Google search history related to the Comeys. Former FBI Director Comey was fired by Trump in 2017 over the #RussiagateHoax he orchestrated. Patrice Comey and her daughters campaigned for Hillary Clinton in 2016 while her husband opened multiple unpredicated investigations against her GOP opponent.”
BREAKING: In a new court filing, prosecutors suggest James Comey’s wife Patrice deliberately misled investigators by omitting the fact she texted her husband a possible alibi just two minutes before he posted his “86” threat against President Trump, in the form of a Google… pic.twitter.com/DRFByJLbOr
— Paul Sperry (@paulsperry_) August 20, 2026
He explained, “Prosecutors argue ‘there is reason to doubt’ ex-FBI chief James Comey’s story he stumbled on an ’86 47′ seashell formation while walking w/ his wife on a NC beach. In new court papers, they reveal the shells were located behind a sand dune in a spot beachcombers could not easily discover them—’And there is no evidence that anyone else arranged, photographed, or even saw the shells.’”
#BREAKING: Federal prosecutors argue “there is reason to doubt” ex-FBI chief James Comey’s story he stumbled on an “86 47” seashell formation while walking w/ his wife on a NC beach. In new court papers, they reveal the shells were located behind a sand dune in a spot…
— Paul Sperry (@paulsperry_) August 20, 2026
Social media charged into the argument over criminal charges against Comey with, “He posted the message. That’s all that matters,” “Wait James Comey wasn’t honest?? Say it aint so. I’m shocked I tell ya. Shocked,” and “THIS MOVIE IS TURNING INTO A COMEDY.”
A report posted at the Gateway Pundit said, “James Comey threw his wife Patrice under the bus after the Trump seashell threat as prosecutors suggest Patrice misled investigators. Federal prosecutors are now suggesting Patrice Comey deliberately misled investigators after the seashell stunt.”
When James Comey posted the threatening message in May 2025, he said, “Cool shell formation on my beach walk.”
Earlier this year, a grand jury from the Eastern District of North Carolina indicted him on two felony counts, including knowingly and willfully making a threat to take the life of, and to inflict bodily harm upon, the President of the United States.
The other count involves transmitting such a communication in interstate commerce.
Comey implied he did not assemble the formation, that he just found it.
“I posted earlier a picture of some shells I saw today on a beach walk, which I assumed were a political message. I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence. It never occurred to me but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down,” he later claimed.
He also claimed, “We were walking on the beach, we went to the beach to prepare for this week… and we were walking back towards the road and we saw in the sand someone had arranged shells with numbers. And Patrice, my wife, said, ‘why would someone put an address in the sand?’ and I said, ‘I don’t know’ and we stood over and I said, ‘I think it’s some kind of political message.’”
He continued, “She said you know, when I was a server – she did a lot of work in restaurants – meant to remove an item from the menu when you ran out of ingredients. And I said, ‘well to me, as a kid it always meant to leave a place, to ditch a place.’ And she said well that very clever you should take a picture of that and I did and posted it on my Instagram and thought nothing more of it until I heard through her that people were saying that it was a call for some sort of assassination which is crazy!”
Reports reveal that Patrice Comey texted her husband a screenshot “of a benign/restaurant definition of ’86’ only minutes before he posted his messaging on Instagram.”
She allegedly searched the web for a definition of the term but “did not mention” that to investigators.
“The filing characterizes this as an omission of the pre-post Google screenshot/text (described in some secondary reporting as a possible ‘alibi’), while arguing the agent simply recited facts supporting the need to obtain the search history and that any implication of lying is the defense’s characterization,” a report said.
The president’s opinion is well known:
BREAKING 🚨 CNN’s Kaitlan Collins: Do you really think James Comey was endangering your life or threatening your life with the “86 47” social media post?
President Trump: “Well, if anybody knows anything about crime. They know 86… is a mob term for kill ‘em.”
“That means kill… pic.twitter.com/8MOqoUQBBN
— Dr Charlie Ward (@DrcharlieWardQ) August 18, 2026
DRAMA: Comey Throws Wife Patrice Under the Bus After Seashell Stunt as Prosecutors Suggest Patrice Deliberately Misled Investigators (VIDEO) https://t.co/SfxFoIsxTI
— The Gateway Pundit (@gatewaypundit) August 20, 2026
