White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that the Justice Department will appeal a federal judge’s decision to dismiss the criminal cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, after ruling that the interim prosecutor had been unlawfully appointed. "Lindsey Halligan was legally appointed, and that is the administration's position," Ms. Leavitt told reporters, asserting that the judge was "trying to shield" the two officials from "receiving accountability." "The Department of Justice will be appealing very soon, and it is our position that Lindsey Halligan is extremely qualified for this position, but more importantly, was lega
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that the Justice Department will appeal a federal judge’s decision to dismiss the criminal cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, after ruling that the interim prosecutor had been unlawfully appointed. "Lindsey Halligan was legally appointed, and that is the administration's position," Ms. Leavitt told reporters, asserting that the judge was "trying to shield" the two officials from "receiving accountability." "The Department of Justice will be appealing very soon, and it is our position that Lindsey Halligan is extremely qualified for this position, but more importantly, was legally appointed to it." President Trump — who had publicly demanded that the Justice Department prosecute the two perceived political opponents — tapped Ms. Halligan for the role after removing the previous interim U.S. attorney, Erik Siebert, who had resisted pressure to bring the indictments. Within days of Ms. Halligan's appointment, Mr. Comey was indicted on charges of making a false statement to Congress and obstructing a congressional investigation, while Ms. James was charged with bank fraud and making a false statement to a financial institution. U.S. District Judge Cameron Currie ruled earlier Monday that Ms. Halligan's appointment was unlawful because the 120-day period during which an interim U.S. attorney may serve without Senate confirmation — or approval from the district's judges — had already expired by the time she took the position. "The 120-day clock began running with Mr. Siebert's appointment on January 21, 2025," she wrote. "When that clock expired on May 21, 2025, so too did the Attorney General's appointment authority." #karolineleavitt #lindseyhalligan #cspan ♬ original sound - C-SPAN
