Published On 25/11/2025
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Last update: 03:49 (Mecca time)
A federal judge on Monday dismissed criminal charges against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, in a ruling that dealt a severe blow to the Justice Department’s efforts to pursue those seen as political opponents of President Donald Trump.
US District Judge Cameron McGuinn Currie also said that the plaintiff chosen by Trump to bring the two cases was appointed in violation of the law.
This ruling eliminates two cases that Trump publicly called for to be filed when he was pressuring Justice Department leaders to take action against prominent figures who criticized him and led investigations into his behavior.
Lindsey Halligan, a former personal lawyer for Trump, was appointed interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia last September to lead the two investigations despite having no prior prosecutorial experience.
This ruling came after James Comey and Letitia James accused the Trump-era Justice Department of violating the appointment clause in the US Constitution and federal law by appointing Halligan last September.
No legal authority
Judge Currie said that Halligan “did not have any legal authority” to bring charges against Comey or James, but her ruling to dismiss the two lawsuits came “while reserving the right to refile them,” giving the Justice Department an opportunity to refile the cases through another prosecutor.
Trump ordered Halligan’s appointment to this position after her predecessor, Eric Seibert, refused to press charges against Comey or James, citing the lack of reliable evidence in both cases.
Shortly after her appointment, Halligan alone filed two indictments against Comey and James, but other prosecutors in the office declined to participate in the cases.
Comey has pleaded not guilty to charges of making false statements and obstruction of Congress, while James has pleaded not guilty to charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution.
It is noteworthy that Trump has taken numerous punitive measures against those he considers enemies and political opponents since his return to the White House last January.