WASHINGTON — A federal judge dismissed a criminal case against New York Attorney General Letitia James on Monday — less than two months after she was indicted on charges in connection with a Norfolk home she purchased.
U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie concluded that Lindsey Halligan, the prosecutor who brought the charges at President Donald Trump’s urging, was illegally appointed by the Justice Department. Currie also dismissed the criminal case against former FBI Director James Comey for the same reason.
Halligan was tapped to serve as the interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia in September after her predecessor, Erik Siebert, resigned amid concerns he would be forced out for failing to prosecute James, CBS reports.
Full speech: NY AG Letitia James tells supporters outside Norfolk courthouse she 'will not be deterred'
James was indicted in early October in connection with the Norfolk home, located on Peronne Avenue near Lafayette Boulevard. Federal prosecutors accused James of misrepresenting her property as a second residence instead of a rental when applying for a mortgage.
About two weeks later, James pleaded not guilty to federal charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution at the Norfolk Federal Courthouse.
Monday's rulings amount to a stunning rebuke of the Trump administration’s efforts to target Trump’s political opponents as well as its legal maneuvering to hastily install a loyalist prosecutor willing to file the cases.
The orders make Halligan the latest Trump administration prosecutor to be disqualified because of the manner in which they were appointed.
