A federal grand jury in North Carolina has indicted former James Comey over a social media post that allies of U.S. President Donald Trump claim amounted to a threat against the president.

The case, brought by prosecutors from the U.S. Department of Justice, follows an earlier indictment against Comey that was dismissed last year on unrelated grounds.

At the center of the new charges is a now-deleted Instagram post in which Comey shared an image of seashells arranged to display the numbers “86 47,” captioned as a “cool shell formation.” Critics interpreted the number “86”—a slang term meaning to eliminate or discard—as a veiled reference to Trump, the 47th president.

The indictment charges Comey with making threats against the president and transmitting a threat across state lines. Prosecutors argue that a reasonable observer familiar with the context could interpret the post as a serious expression of intent to cause harm.

Comey has denied the allegations, maintaining his innocence in a public response. He also criticized the prosecution, suggesting it reflects a departure from the Justice Department’s traditional standards, while expressing confidence in the judicial process.

The case marks a renewed legal confrontation between Trump’s administration and one of his most prominent former critics.