Former FBI Director James Comey is set to be arraigned in federal court in Virginia on Wednesday, following his indictment on charges of obstruction of justice and making false statements to Congress. The charges stem from his 2020 Senate testimony, where prosecutors allege Comey falsely denied authorizing media leaks related to the Trump-Russia and Clinton investigations.

Despite widespread media speculation about a dramatic arrest, Justice Department officials have emphasized that Comey will appear voluntarily and that no public “perp walk” is planned. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche dismissed such reports as “just noise.” However, CBS News reported that the FBI initially discussed a high-profile arrest involving heavily armed agents.

One FBI agent reportedly refused to participate in the proposed arrest plan, calling it inappropriate for a white-collar case, and was subsequently suspended. The plan, which involved agents in tactical gear, sparked internal pushback, with other supervisors also declining to cooperate. These developments have raised questions about the appropriateness of law enforcement tactics in politically charged cases.

The indictment was issued on September 25 by a federal grand jury following turmoil inside the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Lead prosecutor Erik Siebert resigned shortly before the charges were filed and was replaced by Lindsey Halligan, a Trump ally, who moved quickly to pursue the indictment. Reports indicate that some DOJ staff had opposed charging Comey.

Comey has denied any wrongdoing, and his legal team has agreed to his voluntary court appearance. As the legal process unfolds, the case has sparked intense public debate over political influence in the justice system, the role of the FBI, and how high-profile defendants should be treated under the law.