- A federal judge dismissed criminal charges against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, ruling the prosecutor who brought the charges was unlawfully appointed.
- Lindsey Halligan, a former Trump lawyer with no prior prosecutorial experience, was appointed interim U.S. Attorney to replace Erik Siebert, who declined to file charges due to a lack of credible evidence.
- Attorneys for Comey and James argued that Halligan’s appointment violated federal law, which limits appointment of an interim U.S. attorney to one 120-day stint. Repeated interim appointments would bypass the U.S. Senate confirmation process. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi had previously appointed Siebert as interim U.S. Attorney for 120 days.
- U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie ruled that Halligan’s appointment violated the Appointments Clause of the U.S. Constitution and therefore had “no legal authority” to bring indictments against either Comey or James.
- The cases were dismissed without prejudice, allowing the Justice Department the possibility of refiling with a different prosecutor.
US Judge Dismisses Cases Against Former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James
