Washington D.C. A federal judge on Monday dismissed criminal charges against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, dealing a significant blow to the Justice Department’s efforts to prosecute perceived political adversaries of President Donald Trump.
Judge Cameron McGowan Currie of the U.S. District Court stated that the appointment of the special prosecutor chosen by Trump to pursue the cases was unlawful. This ruling effectively nullifies two cases that Trump had publicly advocated for while pressuring Justice Department officials to take action against prominent figures who had criticized him and led investigations into his conduct.
Lindsey Halligan, a former personal attorney for Trump, was appointed as acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia in September. She was tasked with overseeing the investigations despite lacking prior prosecutorial experience. Comey and James challenged the Justice Department’s actions under Trump, alleging that Halligan’s September appointment violated the Appointments Clause of the U.S. Constitution and federal law.
Judge Currie ruled that Halligan “possessed no legal authority” to indict Comey or James. However, the dismissal was “without prejudice,” leaving the door open for the Justice Department to potentially refile the charges through a different prosecutor.
Trump ordered Halligan’s appointment after her predecessor, Eric Siebert, refused to indict Comey or James, citing a lack of credible evidence in both cases. Shortly after her appointment, Halligan unilaterally filed indictments against Comey and James, while other prosecutors in the office declined to participate in the cases. Comey pleaded not guilty to charges of making false statements and obstructing Congress. James pleaded not guilty to charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution.
This development is the latest in a series of actions taken by Trump against individuals he considers political enemies since his return to the White House in January.
