DOJ ousts interim VA US attorney minutes after judges pick successor to Trump ally Halligan

Hours after Eastern District of Virginia judges appointed James Hundley as interim U.S. attorney to replace Lindsey Halligan, the Justice Department said Hundley was fired, highlighting a clash between the DOJ and the White House. Deputy AG Todd Blanche publicly announced the firing on social media, and Halligan’s brief tenure followed controversial prosecutions that a federal court ruled were invalid, underscoring that EDVA judges have the authority to appoint a U.S. attorney until Senate confirmation.