A federal judge has dismissed the indictments against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. The judge tossed the indictments on the grounds that Lindsey Halligan’s appointment as interim U.S. Attorney General for the Eastern District of Virginia was invalid.
“Because Ms. Halligan had no lawful authority to present the indictment, I will grant Mr. Comey’s motion and dismiss the indictment without prejudice,” U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie wrote regarding Comey’s indictment.
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Currie also noted that Halligan’s actions in bringing the case were “unlawful” and “ineffective.” She issued a similar ruling in the James case.
Both cases were filed without prejudice, meaning they could be brought forward again at a later time.
Halligan’s appointment
In September, Attorney General Pam Bondi appointed Halligan, a former insurance lawyer and close ally of President Donald Trump with no prior prosecutorial experience. Her appointment followed U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert’s abrupt resignation, after he reportedly faced pressure from Trump to pursue investigations targeting political rivals.
Once she took office, Halligan indicted both James and Comey.
Since then, they have challenged the legitimacy of Halligan’s appointment. They said that because she was improperly installed in the role, she lacked the legal authority to bring charges against them.
Previous charges
The dismissal comes after Comey was indicted in September on one count of making false statements to Congress and one count of obstruction of justice. The charges were tied to Senate testimony he gave five years ago. He pleaded not guilty last month.
James was indicted on one count of bank fraud and one count of making false statements to a financial institution. She also pleaded not guilty last month.
Both claim the sequence of events leading to Halligan’s appointment shows the prosecutions were purely driven by Trump’s personal vendettas.
Following the ruling on Monday, James shared a post on X, saying, “I am heartened by today’s victory and grateful for the prayers and support I have received from around the country. I remain fearless in the face of these baseless charges as I continue fighting for New Yorkers every single day.”
