WASHINGTON – on⁢ a Phoenix tarmac in 2016, former President Clinton and U.S. Atty. Gen.Loretta Lynch had a serendipitous meeting on a private jet. The ⁣exchange⁤ caused a political firestorm. At a ‌time when the Justice Department was investigating Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee for president, the appearance of impropriety prompted ⁢a national scandal.

“Lynch ⁤made law enforcement decisions for political purposes,”​ Donald Trump, her republican rival that ⁢year,‍ would later write of the meeting on Twitter. “Totally illegal!”

It was the beginning of a pattern from Trump claiming political interference by Democrats and career public servants in Justice Department matters,⁢ regardless of the evidence.

Now, Trump’s years-long claim ‌that it was his opponents ‍who politicized the​ justice system has ⁢become the basis for the most ‌aggressive spree of⁤ political prosecutions in modern American history.

“What Trump is doing now with the U.S.‍ attorneys⁤ is really in complete opposition​ to how the⁣ people who created those offices imagined what ‌those⁢ officials would do – the Founders simply ​did not envision the office in this⁣ way,” said Peter Kastor,chair of the history department at Washington University in St. Louis.

“From the inception ⁤of‍ the Justice Department,” he added, “one of the most remarkable things is how ⁤it was never used in this way.”

On thursday, at Trump’s express direction, federal charges were filed against James​ Comey, the former FBI director, alleging⁤ he gave false testimony before Congress and​ attempted to obstruct a congressional proceeding five years ago.⁣

The​ indictment was ⁤secured from a federal grand jury after⁤ Trump fired a U.S. attorney with doubts about the strength of the case – replacing him with a ​loyalist,⁤ and telling Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi⁤ openly on ⁣social ‌media to pursue charges against him and others.

“JAMES COMEY IS A DIRTY COP,” Trump wrote on social ⁤media ‍ after ​the charges were filed. “MAKE⁣ AMERICA GREAT⁣ AGAIN!”

Comey, who ⁣was fired by Trump in 2017, denies the charges.

“My family and I have known ‍for years that there are costs to standing ‍up ‍to ‌Donald Trump, but we couldn’t imagine ourselves living any other way,” Comey said ‌in⁤ a​ statement ⁢posted online. “We will not live on our⁤ knees, and you shouldn’t either.

“My ‌heart is broken for the​ Department⁤ of Justice. But I ‍have great confidence in the federal judicial system,” Comey continued. “And I’m​ innocent. So let’s⁤ have a trial and⁤ keep the faith.”

Behind‍ the charges against comey,