Lindsey Halligan is ordered by the judge to provide an explanation for her use of the title of U.S. attorney
Lindsey Halligan is ordered by the judge to provide an explanation for her use of the title of U.S. attorney
Despite a court decision that she was illegally appointed to the position, Lindsey Halligan, a Trump friend, was required by a federal judge to provide an explanation for her self-identification as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Why it matters:
In his order granting Halligan seven days to reply, U.S. District Judge David Novak urged her to explain why her conduct did not amount to “a false or misleading statement,” which the Trump-appointed Richmond judge hinted would lead to disciplinary punishment.
The order follows the dismissal of the Department of Justice case against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) by another federal judge, who concluded that Halligan’s appointment was “defective.”
Rather than coming from an outside source, such as defense lawyers, Novak pointed out that the order was his own.
The overall picture
Last month, DOJ officials accused federal judges of engaging in a “campaign of bias and hostility” against Halligan, Trump’s former personal attorney.
Although the U.S. government had challenged Cameron McGowan Currie’s order in the James and Comey cases, “no stay has been issued” in relation to this, according to Novak’s order.
Axios’ request for comment on Tuesday night was not immediately answered by DOJ representatives.