Documents Reveal Pressure on Secret Service to Monitor James Comey

On May 15, 2025, agents at the U.S. Secret Service received a request from higher-ups in the administration to access former FBI Director James Comey’s phone to monitor his movements. This request followed Comey's social media post featuring seashells arranged to spell out '86 47', which some aides interpreted as a threat against President Trump. Internal records indicate that some Secret Service agents expressed concerns about the legality of the request, arguing that they lacked the authority to surveil Comey without a warrant. A mid-level supervisor stated in an email that they did not believe anyone's life was in danger and that proceeding with the surveillance would be legally questionable. Despite these concerns, a top Justice Department official insisted that the surveillance be conducted. The following day, agents tracked Comey’s location using his phone signal. The documents were released as part of Comey’s legal proceedings regarding charges of threatening Trump, which he has denied. A spokesperson for the Justice Department declined to comment on the specifics of the internal records, while a Secret Service spokesperson stated that they could not comment due to the ongoing legal matter. The internal debate over the legality of the surveillance continued late into the night on May 15, with some officials worried about the implications of following the administration's directive.