Recent appellate proceedings in the Fourth Circuit have heightened uncertainty over reviving dismissed Virginia indictments against James Comey for alleged false statements to Congress and obstruction, with a September 2026 panel expressing skepticism toward the Justice Department’s arguments on prosecutor appointments and statute-of-limits constraints. Separately, Comey faces active federal charges in North Carolina stemming from a 2025 social media post, with a plea hearing scheduled for late September and trial set for October, alongside pending defense motions to dismiss on selective-prosecution grounds. These parallel legal tracks, combined with the administration’s broader pattern of contested appointments and court scrutiny, support trader consensus that charges are unlikely to be dropped before year-end.