Lindsey Halligan Resigns as U.S. Attorney Amid Legal Controversy

Those claims were dismissed in November 2025 after a United States District Judge decided that Halligan was not legitimately appointed to lead the Eastern District of Virginia office. The Department of Justice has filed an appeal against the dismissals. Bondi criticized Democratic Senators from Virginia for utilizing the chamber's tradition to obstruct U.S. Attorney appointments for their state. "Democratic Senators weaponized the blue-slip process, making it impossible for Lindsey's term as United States Attorney to continue following the expiration of her 120-day appointment," Bondi stated. The controversy over Halligan's appointment has sparked debate about political influence in the justice system.

Without Senate confirmation, Halligan was confined to a 120-day interim appointment, which a judge determined expired last year. Even on the Justice Department's more lenient interpretation of when her interim tenure would expire, the 120-day period ended on January 20. In a Jan. 20 decision, district judge David Novak ordered Halligan to stop referring to herself as the top federal prosecutor in Virginia's Eastern District in court filings. Novak called Halligan's continuous use of the term a "charade" and warned disciplinary action against her and any other prosecutor who uses it in his court. He also claimed that the Justice Department was ignoring a court decision that determined she was unjustly appointed.

Lindsey Halligan, a Trump-appointed federal attorney who oversaw the failed prosecutions of two of the president's political opponents, resigns from the US Justice Department amid growing controversy, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Tuesday. Halligan, who previously worked as Trump's personal attorney, resigns after various judges strongly chastised her and questioned her capacity to continue in her post legally. The controversy intensified when Halligan, who had no prosecutorial experience, was sworn in as interim US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia in September after the president fired her predecessor, who had declined to charge New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey. Halligan oversaw indictments against James and Comey, which were viewed as politically motivated, and a court rejected the cases in November amid the ongoing controversy.

The judge who dismissed the cases decided that Halligan was unjustly appointed and lacked the legal power to bring the indictment against James and Comey. Attorneys general can appoint temporary US attorneys for 120-day terms, but Halligan's appointment was ruled illegal because her predecessor had already served 120 days, giving federal judges in the district the exclusive ability to fill the job. The Senate must confirm a US attorney within 120 days of their appointment. The Justice Department's lawyers have contended that the administration has the authority to make consecutive interim appointments, but at least six federal judges have rejected that claim. Halligan's exit comes as she faces increased scrutiny. A federal judge, David Novak, announced on Tuesday that he was removing the words "United States attorney" from the signing of an indictment, stating that Halligan was no longer permitted to use that title, according to the Associated Press. The judge threatened to initiate disciplinary procedures against Halligan if she disobeyed the order and continued to represent herself as a US attorney.

"No matter all of her machinations, Ms. Halligan has no legal basis to represent to this Court that she holds the position. And any such representation going forward can only be described as a false statement made in direct defiance of valid court orders," Novak wrote. "In short, this charade of Ms. Halligan masquerading as the United States Attorney for this District in direct defiance of binding court orders must come to an end."

On Tuesday, a federal judge advertised a job posting for interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, a position Lindsey Halligan claims she has held legitimately despite another judge deciding otherwise. Chief District Judge M. Hannah Lauck issued an order stating that Halligan "may not serve" as interim US attorney for more than 120 days after Attorney General Pam Bondi first appointed her to the position on September 22, 2025. Lauck's order states that the court may appoint a US attorney until the position is filled by a Senate-confirmed appointee. The court's vacancy announcement requests that interested candidates submit a cover letter, résumé, and private questionnaire to Fernando Galindo, the clerk of the court, by February 10.

Bondi appointed Halligan, a former White House senior assistant staff secretary, after President Trump fired his initial U.S. attorney nominee, Erik Siebert, for refusing to pursue New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) for possible mortgage fraud. When Halligan took office, he started investigations into James over the alleged fraud and former FBI Director James Comey over charges of lying to Congress. However, U.S. District Judge Cameron Currie concluded in November that Halligan was unable to continue in the job and dismissed the proceedings against James and Comey, reasoning that the 120-day clock on interim appointments had elapsed during Siebert's tenure. Currie, a former President Clinton appointee, stated that the district's federal courts, not Bondi, had the jurisdiction to pick a successor.

Halligan continued to perform her duties, but U.S. District Judge David Novak ordered her Jan. 6 to explain why she did so despite Currie's order. On Jan. 13, Halligan responded to Novak, stating that Currie's ruling only terminated the cases against Comey and James and did not preclude her from serving as interim US attorney. "It is the United States' position that Ms. Halligan was properly appointed as interim United States Attorney — a position the United States has maintained in part based on internal legal advice from the Department of Justice's Office of Legal Counsel," Halligan wrote in an eleven-page motion. "That Judge Currie dismissed two indictments based on her disagreement with that position does not prevent the United States from otherwise maintaining it."

Bondi lauded Halligan in a social media post announcing her retirement, stating that she "fulfilled her responsibilities with courage and resolve." "The circumstances that led to this outcome are deeply misguided," she said. "We are living in a time when a democratically elected President's ability to staff key law enforcement positions faces serious obstacles." Halligan and representatives from the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia did not immediately reply to requests for comment Tuesday night.

Lindsey Halligan's resignation from the U.S. legal department is significant because it shows that political influence and controversies are still an issue in the legal system. Lindsey, a Trump-appointed prosecutor with little experience, drew criticism for starting politically charged cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. After that, these cases were dropped. Federal judges said that Halligan's appointment was not legal, which made people even less likely to believe that the Justice Department was being honest. The resignation and related controversies have people curious about how politics affect law enforcement and how hard it is for the current government to find qualified people for important jobs now that Lindsey Halligan has left.

Lindsey Halligan resigns from DOJ after judge rules appointment illegal and threatens disciplinary action over politically motivated prosecutions.

Halligan, a former Trump personal lawyer with no prosecutorial experience, brought indictments against James Comey and Letitia James that were dismissed after judges determined her 120-day interim appointment was illegal. Federal judges ruled her predecessor had already exhausted the 120-day period, giving courts—not the Attorney General—authority to fill the position. Halligan was sworn in as interim US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia in September after the president fired his initial U.S. attorney nominee, Erik Siebert, for refusing to pursue New York Attorney General Letitia James for possible mortgage fraud. When Halligan took office, she started investigations into James over the alleged fraud and former FBI Director James Comey over charges of lying to Congress, which were viewed as politically motivated prosecutions of the president's political opponents.

Judge David Novak called Halligan's continued use of the U.S. Attorney title a "charade" and threatened disciplinary procedures, while Chief Judge M. Hannah Lauck posted a job opening for the position. Attorney General Pam Bondi blamed Democratic Senators for weaponizing the blue-slip process, though at least six federal judges rejected DOJ claims of authority for consecutive interim appointments. Novak wrote that Halligan has no legal basis to represent to the Court that she holds the position, and any such representation going forward can only be described as a false statement made in direct defiance of valid court orders.