Federal prosecutors have taken steps to charge ex-Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey with leaking national defence information, according to a court filing.

It marks the third time the justice department has moved to bring criminal charges against Comey, a longtime critic of President Donald Trump.

Few details are provided about the two counts in the three-page filing, but Comey's lawyers said in separate court papers that the case stemmed from an alleged disclosure of classified information to the New York Times in October 2016, while he was head of the FBI.

Comey denied any wrongdoing in a video posted on Substack on Monday, calling the charges an "appalling abuse".

"It would almost be funny if it weren't such an appalling abuse of the department of justice, one that we cannot become numb to," he said in the clip.

"Nothing's changed with me - I'm still innocent, I'm still not afraid of these people and I still believe in the independent federal judiciary."

Comey was charged in…