A federal judge has temporarily barred U.S. prosecutors from using evidence seized from Daniel Richman, a key figure in the dismissed criminal case against former FBI Director James Comey. Richman, a law professor and former attorney for Comey, alleged in a lawsuit that investigators violated his Fourth Amendment rights by retaining and searching data from his electronic devices without a valid warrant during investigations conducted in 2019 and 2020.
U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly granted a temporary restraining order, stating that Richman is “likely to succeed” in proving the government unlawfully kept and searched a complete copy of his personal computer files. She ordered authorities to identify, segregate, and secure the seized materials, and to halt any access to them without court approval, with compliance required by December 8. The order remains in effect until December 12 or until further court action.
The disputed files had been used by prosecutors to indict Comey on charges of making false statements and obstructing Congress in relation to his 2020 testimony involving media leaks. The original case was dismissed on November 24 after the lead prosecutor was found to be unlawfully appointed, and the Justice Department is now weighing fresh charges. Richman’s lawsuit adds further complications, as he seeks the return or deletion of the seized data and aims to block its use in any future proceedings against Comey.
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