Judge Rules on Indictments
A federal judge has dismissed the indictment against former FBI Director James B. Comey, determining that President Trump’s appointment of Lindsey Halligan as interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia was not valid.
In a related decision, Judge Cameron McGowan Currie also dismissed the charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James, who faced mortgage fraud allegations brought by Halligan.
The judge’s dismissal was without prejudice, allowing the government the option to refile charges in the future. However, some legal experts suggest that the five-year statute of limitations may have expired for Comey’s alleged actions.
Comey was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 25 for allegedly making false statements regarding leaks to the media about his investigation into Hillary Clinton’s missing emails during her 2016 presidential campaign. He also faced charges for obstructing a congressional inquiry into sensitive information disclosures.
Comey pleaded not guilty in October. His defense team argued that Halligan’s appointment was invalid due to exceeding the 120-day limit for temporary appointments. Judge Currie concurred with this argument, labeling Halligan’s appointment as “defective” and declaring her actions unlawful.
A federal grand jury indicted Letitia James on October 9 for bank fraud and making false statements to secure better mortgage terms. In her motion to dismiss filed on November 7, she described the charges as retaliatory and referenced derogatory remarks made by Trump about her character.
Halligan recently submitted new evidence suggesting that James knowingly misrepresented her Norfolk home as a secondary residence on her mortgage application to obtain a lower interest rate. Prosecutors argue that this deception indicates she recognized the property was an investment rather than a secondary residence.
