what did james comey lie to congress about

James Comey was charged with lying to Congress during his testimony in September 2020. Specifically, he was accused of making a false statement under oath by denying that he had authorized an FBI staffer to serve as an anonymous source for media leaks regarding FBI investigations. The charge centers on Comey’s denial in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing that he permitted anyone at the FBI to leak information, which contradicted claims by former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe that Comey had given such authorization. Additionally, Comey was charged with obstruction for allegedly trying to impede the Senate committee's investigation through false and misleading statements during his testimony. These charges relate to the FBI's investigations into 2016 election matters involving Russia and Hillary Clinton’s email server, and not the substantive findings of those investigations. Comey has maintained his innocence, but if convicted, he could face up to five years in prison.