"The nomination would place one of the president's legal defenders in charge of an office in tumult over political pressure by administration officials to criminally charge New York Attorney General Letitia James, a longtime foe of Trump, in a mortgage fraud investigation. Erik Siebert, who had been the office's top prosecutor, resigned amid a push by Trump administration officials to bring charges in the investigation, which stems from allegations of paperwork discrepancies on James' Brooklyn townhouse and a Virginia home."
"The announcement came as Trump pressed Attorney General Pam Bondi to move forward with pursuing cases against some of his political opponents, part of a vow for retribution that has been a theme of his return to the White House. Halligan has been part of Trump's legal orbit for the last several years, including serving as one of his attorneys in the early days of the FBI's investigation into Trump's retention of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida."
President Donald Trump announced the nomination of senior White House aide Lindsey Halligan to be U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia after the office's U.S. attorney was pushed out. The nomination follows pressure from administration officials to criminally charge New York Attorney General Letitia James in a mortgage fraud inquiry. Erik Siebert resigned amid the push, and the Justice Department has spent months investigating without finding evidence sufficient for indictment. James has denied wrongdoing and called the probe political revenge. Halligan previously represented Trump in the early Mar-a-Lago documents investigation and has been enlisted in efforts targeting alleged "improper ideology."
#lindsey-halligan #eastern-district-of-virginia #letitia-james-investigation #political-pressure-on-doj
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