The Trump administration is attempting to prosecute James Comey for what it calls a decade-old leak of classified information, an effort the former FBI director's lawyers immediately dismissed as invalid and outside the time limit for when the Justice Department can file a case.

The allegations from the Justice Department came in documents unsealed Monday in federal court in Washington that shed light on a fight that has played out behind closed doors over the last month.

It comes as prosecutors try to bring what would be the third criminal case against Comey, a longtime critic and foe of President Donald Trump, since the Republican returned to the White House last year.