All articles tagged with #eastern district of virginia
Hours after Virginia judges unanimously named James W Hundley interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, the Trump administration fired him—marking a second such firing this month of a prosecutor appointed by judges—as Deputy AG Todd Blanche asserted the president makes the appointment, underscoring a clash over interim U.S. attorney authority.
A panel of judges in the Eastern District of Virginia appointed veteran litigator James W. Hundley as interim U.S. attorney, but Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche fired him hours later, underscoring a broader clash over whether courts or the president/DOJ appoint interim U.S. attorneys and highlighting ongoing disputes over interim leadership in federal offices.
The Department of Justice dismissed James Hundley from his post as interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia just hours after federal judges unanimously appointed him, with Deputy AG Todd Blanche announcing the firing. Hundley had succeeded Lindsey Halligan, whose appointment was ruled unlawful, and this marks another instance of a judges-appointed U.S. Attorney being removed by the DOJ.
Lindsey Halligan, Trump’s interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, stepped down from the Justice Department after a judge sharply criticized her rhetoric and a prior ruling found her appointment invalid, prompting EDVA to seek an interim replacement as her 120-day term ended; Attorney General Pam Bondi called the departure a significant loss and Halligan said the court vacancy would be filled through other means.
Lindsey Halligan, a Trump-appointed interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, has resigned after multiple judges criticized her and ruled her appointment unlawful; she oversaw indictments against Letitia James and James Comey that were later dismissed, a judge barred her from using the U.S. Attorney title, and the district moved to fill the vacancy amid disputes over back-to-back interim appointments.
A federal judge in the Eastern District of Virginia barred Lindsey Halligan from referring to herself as United States Attorney in court filings, saying her appointment was unlawful and that continuing to use the title ignores a binding court order; the DOJ had argued otherwise but reversed, and Halligan’s status remains disputed as the court seeks a replacement for the position.
A federal judge in the Eastern District of Virginia barred Lindsey Halligan from presenting herself as the United States Attorney until she is properly appointed or Senate-confirmed, noting her lack of prosecutorial experience and granting her the benefit of the doubt by not referring her for disciplinary action at this time. The court also posted a vacancy for an Interim U.S. Attorney with a Feb. 10, 2026 deadline as the DOJ appeals a ruling that Halligan unlawfully served; Halligan was nominated again on Jan. 13 but has not been confirmed, and earlier cases against James and Comey were dismissed during her tenure.
Lindsey Halligan, a Trump-picked but never confirmed U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, faces a disqualification ruling and a judge’s order to explain how she can continue to identify as the top federal prosecutor; Halligan denounces the questioning as a threat while the DOJ fights to keep her in the role amid ongoing appeals.
The Justice Department says Lindsey Halligan remains the interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia despite a judge’s ruling that her appointment violated the Appointments Clause, arguing that the Currie ruling applied only to the James and Comey cases and did not force Halligan to relinquish the title. DOJ officials criticized Judge Novak’s request for an explanation as procedural overreach and noted that replacement authority would lie with the district court until the Senate confirms a nominee.
The Justice Department pushed back on a federal judge’s order directing Lindsey Halligan to explain why she continues to use the title 'U.S. attorney' in Virginia court filings, saying Halligan did not misrepresent anything and that the judge’s earlier ruling invalidating her appointment remains in effect, as the DOJ appeals without seeking a stay; Halligan’s combative response accuses the judge of rudimentary legal errors, underscoring ongoing tensions between the Trump administration’s DOJ appointees and the federal judiciary.
Lindsey Halligan, the Trump‑backed U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, told a federal judge she can continue using the title even after another judge ruled her appointment unlawful; she argues Currie’s ruling only dismissed indictments against James and Comey and does not bar her from serving as U.S. attorney, while Judge Novak has pressed for clarification to avoid a false statement finding. The dispute adds to ongoing turmoil in EDVA, following leadership shakeups and the firing of a top official amid national security prosecutions.
The Justice Department has filed a brief defending Lindsey Halligan, Trump’s pick to lead the Eastern District of Virginia’s US Attorney’s Office, after several judges questioned whether she remains the U.S. attorney since she has not been Senate-confirmed. The DOJ accuses Judge David Novak of attempting to coerce the Executive Branch and maintains Halligan’s authority to sign court papers is valid under internal DOJ guidance, even as courts scrutinize filings bearing her name in the Comey and Letitia James prosecutions. The standoff has caused turmoil within the prosecutors’ office, including the firing of Halligan’s No. 2.
A top federal prosecutor, Robert McBride, was ousted from the Eastern District of Virginia amid ongoing disputes over Lindsey Halligan's leadership. A judge had previously ruled Halligan was improperly appointed and dismissed cases she brought against James Comey and Letitia James, with four other acting U.S. attorney appointments also deemed unlawful. McBride had reportedly met with judges to seek a court-backed appointment as acting U.S. attorney, and DOJ leadership supported his dismissal.
Robert McBride, the deputy to acting U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan in the Eastern District of Virginia, was fired after declining to lead the Comey prosecution. The dismissal comes amid ongoing turmoil in the office, including a judge’s ruling that Halligan was unlawfully appointed and the Comey and Letitia James prosecutions being dismissed, with the DOJ appealing and several other prosecutors leaving the office.
The Justice Department fired Robert McBride, the No. 2 official in the Eastern District of Virginia, after he told leaders he could not both run the office and lead the controversial Comey prosecution. The move comes amid questions about who will run the EDVA after a judge ruled Lindsey Halligan was not legally appointed, and reports that McBride had private meetings with federal judges, which were viewed as undermining the administration.