Wilmington, North Carolina - The prosecutor leading the federal case against former FBI Director James Comey, who faces charges for allegedly threatening President Donald Trump, has mysteriously exited.

A court filing submitted on Friday notified the court that Matthew Petracca, a prosecutor from the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina, had been replaced by Assistant US Attorney Timothy Severo.

The filing did not give any reason for Petracca's exit.

Comey is facing charges over a photo he posted to Instagram in May 2025 of seashells arranged in the shape of the numbers 86 and 47 on a beach in North Carolina.

Trump has insisted the 86 was a call for assassination, and the 47 was a reference to himself as the 47th president of the US – claims Comey has vehemently denied.

Back in April, Comey surrendered to authorities and later appeared for a hearing in Alexandria, Virginia, where he did not enter a plea.

The trial against Comey comes as Trump has vowed to seek retribution against his political enemies in his second term.

Comey served as FBI Director during the Republican's first term, but was fired over his handling of an investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Current FBI Director Kash Patel launched an investigation into Comey earlier this year, but prosecutors refused to indict him due to insufficient evidence.