This was the first court appearance for Comey, who says he is innocent
Comey was indicted last month, mere days after President Donald Trump's post on social media pushed for his Attorney General Pam Bondi to take action
It sparked a fierce political debate, with Democrats and some legal experts accusing Trump of using the Department of Justice to seek out retribution on his enemies
Trump fired Comey during his first presidential term, and the two have repeatedly clashed ever since
In the end, it may turn out that Trump and his actions as president are on trial in this case as much as Comey, writes our North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher
Today we heard James Comey, the former head of the FBI, formally deny lying under oath about whether he had previously leaked information to the media about an investigation he was then overseeing.
He will go head-to-head with the Trump administration in court from 5 January, effectively pitted against a president who has repeatedly framed him as an enemy.
The president desperately wanted this prosecution but his apparent means of securing it - appointing a friendly lawyer willing to pursue it to a key position - will also come under scrutiny in January.
Trump has always insisted he does not interfere with the Department of Justice's investigations but we learned today that Comey's legal team will challenge the legality of his prosecutor's appointment, which they hope will fundamentally undermine the case against him.
Comey...
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