Justice Department accuses judge of abusing power in questioning prosecutor Lindsey Halligan s authority

Source: Associated Press

Justice Department accuses judge of abusing power in questioning prosecutor's authority

MICHAEL KUNZELMAN
Tue, January 13, 2026 at 5:14 PM EST
2 min read

WASHINGTON (AP) — Justice Department officials on Tuesday accused a federal judge of abusing his power in demanding that Trump loyalist Lindsey Halligan explain why she continues to identify herself as a U.S. Attorney in Virginia despite another judge's ruling that she was illegally appointed.

Halligan secured charges against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James at President Donald Trump’s urging before U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie decided in November that both cases must be dismissed due to Halligan's invalid appointment.

Last Tuesday, U.S. District Judge David Novak in Richmond, Virginia, ordered Halligan to explain in writing why it isn't false or misleading for her to continue identifying herself as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia after Currie's ruling.

In a strongly worded response co-signed by Halligan, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, they argued that nothing in Currie's order prohibits Halligan from acting as U.S. Attorney or using that title.

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Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/justice-department-accuses-judge-abusing-221418298.html