Former FBI director James Comey has pleaded not guilty to charges of making false statements to Congress and obstructing a congressional proceeding. Prosecutors allege that Comey misled lawmakers during a 2020 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing about whether he had authorized an FBI employee to leak details of investigations into Hillary Clinton and Russian election interference in American elections.

The plea was entered Wednesday in a federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, by his lawyer, Patrick Fitzgerald, who argued that the prosecution is politically motivated.

A trial date has been set for 5 January next year, with both sides expecting proceedings to last only a few days. If convicted, Mr Comey faces up to five years in prison on each count and fines of up to $200 000.