The lead federal prosecutor in James Comey’s criminal prosecution related to his Instagram assassination post has resigned from the case.

Matthew Petracca, an Assistant US Attorney in the Eastern District of North Carolina, has resigned from Comey’s case and other criminal cases.

According to NBC News, Petracca thought about leaving the DOJ, but decided to remain at the Department after taking a week off.

Ellis Boyle, Acting US Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, hired Petracca several months ago.

NBC News reported:

A rookie federal prosecutor who brought a case accusing former FBI Director James Comey of threatening President Donald Trump’s life by posting a photo of seashells on Instagram has stepped off the case.

Matthew Petracca, who had been recently hired as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of North Carolina, is no longer on the Comey case, according to a court filing.

Petracca also dropped off of other criminal cases in the Eastern District of North Carolina in recent days, according to court filings. Petracca is a former Republican county committeeman in New Jersey whom Eastern District of North Carolina W. Ellis Boyle hired months ago, NBC News has reported. Boyle oversaw the highly criticized case, which will go to trial in October if it manages to survive legal challenges.

Petracca had contemplated leaving the Justice Department altogether, according to two people familiar with the matter, but instead remained a DOJ employee after taking a week off. Petracca had not responded to a previous request for comment on his status at the Justice Department, and did not respond to an additional request for comment on Friday. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

James Comey posted his threatening ‘8647’ Instagram post last May.

“Cool shell formation on my beach walk,” Comey said.

’86 47′ is a threat to ‘eliminate/kill’ the 47th president.

James Comey was indicted by a grand jury in the Eastern District of North Carolina on two felony counts last month:

COUNT ONE: Knowingly and willfully make a threat to take the life of, and to inflict bodily harm upon, the President of the United States;

COUNT TWO: knowingly and willfully did transmit in interstate and foreign commerce a communication that contained a threat to kill the President, Donald J. Trump

Read the indictment here.

North Carolina-based US District Judge Louise Flanagan, a George W. Bush appointee, agreed to postpone Comey’s trial date to October.

Comey is facing up to 20 years in prison.

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