A US judge has dismissed criminal cases against former FBI director James Comey and New York attorney general Letitia James. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie ruled that Lindsey Halligan, the prosecutor who secured the indictments, was unlawfully appointed as the US attorney for the eastern district of Virginia.
Comey was charged with lying to Congress, and James with mortgage fraud, though both denied wrongdoing. The dismissals are viewed by some as a setback to attempts to politically punish rivals.
The attorney general, Pam Bondi, stated she would appeal the decision, vowing to take all available legal action. Comey expressed gratitude that the prosecution, which he described as based on "malevolence and incompetence," had ended, while Bondi countered that Comey was charged with serious crimes and his alleged actions were a betrayal of public trust.
Concerns were raised about Halligan's appointment due to her lack of prosecutorial experience and her position as a junior lawyer on Donald Trump's legal team. She was installed as interim US attorney after her predecessor reportedly resisted pressure to file charges against Comey, who had a contentious relationship with Trump and was fired by him in 2017.
Halligan personally secured the indictment against Comey shortly after her appointment. The White House maintained her appointment was legal.
