India, Aug. 19 -- The United States Department of Justice has defended its criminal case against former FBI Director James Comey, telling a federal court that "there is no serious dispute" that a social media post depicting seashells arranged in a pattern could reasonably be read as a threat against President Donald Trump.

The filing, submitted on Wednesday, marks the latest attempt by prosecutors to keep alive one of several criminal cases the Trump administration has pursued against perceived political adversaries. It comes as Comey's legal team continues to press for the charges to be dismissed on the grounds that the prosecution amounts to political retaliation.

James B Comey Case: What Did Comey's Instagram Post Show?

The case cen...