"The dismissals of the indictments against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James were a victory for the rule of law, but the victory may be short-lived. Last week, a federal judge concluded that the appointment of interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan was invalid, thereby voiding the indictments she obtained before a grand jury in Virginia."
"Erik Siebert, the first interim U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia appointed by Attorney General Pam Bondi, was removed from office for refusing to indict Comey and James. President Donald Trump posted on social media a demand that both be indicted, and recommended Halligan for the job. Until then, Halligan was an insurance lawyer working in the White House, helping to review material from the Smithsonian Institution that the administration deemed objectionable."
A federal judge found the appointment of interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan invalid, voiding the indictments she presented against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. The first interim U.S. attorney, Erik Siebert, was removed after refusing to indict them. President Donald Trump publicly demanded indictments and recommended Halligan. Attorney General Pam Bondi appointed Halligan, who had been a White House insurance lawyer, and Halligan obtained indictments charging Comey with lying to Congress and James with mortgage fraud. Judge Cameron McGowan Currie held that after Siebert's 120 days the district court—not Bondi—controls interim appointments, and because Halligan alone signed and presented the indictments they were legally invalid. The Department of Justice intends to appeal and may seek other avenues to revive the charges.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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