Clinton Judge Could Frustrate James Comey, Letitia James Cases By Tossing Trump DOJ’s Prosecutor

Alexandria, VIRGINIA — A Clinton-appointed judge seemed skeptical Thursday that the attorney prosecuting former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James was properly appointed.

Lindsey Halligan’s appointment to lead the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Virginia, made just days before she secured an indictment against Comey, violates basic constitutional principles that require dismissing both cases, defense attorneys for James and Comey argued.

Federal law allows the attorney general to select an interim U.S. attorney to fill a vacancy for 120 days. Defense attorneys argue the clock ran out when former Interim U.S. Attorney Eric Siebert’s term expired, and Attorney General Pam Bondi cannot “string together” consecutive 120-day appointments to put Halligan in charge.

Siebert resigned in October after reportedly facing pressure from Trump to bring indictments, enabling Bondi to install Halligan in the vacant position at the president’s direction. In a later-deleted Sept. 20 Truth Social post directed at Pam Bondi, Trump questioned why “nothing is being done” about Comey, James and Democratic California Sen. Adam Schiff — who he called “guilty as hell.”

The government told the judge any issues with Halligan’s appointment amount to no more than a “paperwork error” that should not lead to dismissal.

Judge Cameron Currie, who serves as a district court judge in South Carolina and was appointed by President Bill Clinton, questioned whether allowing her appointment would nullify the impact of the Senate, which is responsible for confirming the president’s U.S. Attorney nominees.