"A US federal judge on Monday dismissed the criminal cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Judge Cameron McGowan Currie concluded that the prosecutor, Lindsey Halligan, who brought the charges at President Donald Trump's behest, was illegally appointed by the US Justice Department. The ruling dismisses two cases Trump had publicly called for as he pressured the Justice Department to go against high-profile figures who had criticized him and led probes into his conduct."
"Halligan, a former personal lawyer to Trump, was named interim US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia in September, taking over both cases despite having no previous experience in prosecutions. Monday's ruling comes after both Comey and James accused the Justice Department of violating the US Constitution's Appointments Clause and federal law when appointing Halligan. Judge Currie found that Halligan "had no legal authority" to bring indictments against the accused."
""I am heartened by today's victory and grateful for the prayers and support I have received from around the country," James said in a statement. Her attorney, Abbe Lowell, said James would "continue to challenge any further politically motivated charges through every lawful means available." Meanwhile, Comey said in a video posted on Instagram that he's "grateful that the court ended the case against me, which was a prosecution based on malevolence and incompetence and a reflection of what the Department of Justice has become under Donald Trump""
A US federal judge dismissed criminal cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Judge Cameron McGowan Currie concluded that prosecutor Lindsey Halligan, appointed at President Donald Trump's behest, was illegally appointed and lacked authority to bring indictments. Halligan had been named interim US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia after serving as a personal lawyer to Trump and had no prior prosecutorial experience. The dismissal was entered without prejudice, allowing the Justice Department to pursue new indictments under a different prosecutor. Currie described the appointment as an unlawful exercise of executive power. Both Comey and James reacted with statements condemning the prosecution and pledging further legal challenges.
Read at www.dw.com
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