US Attorney General Pam Bondi on Monday gave US Attorney Lindsey Halligan a new title as James Comey and Letitia James move to challenge her appointment.
US District Judge Cameron Currie, a Clinton appointee, will decide whether Lindsey Halligan will be disqualified as US Attorney following a motion from James Comey challenging her appointment.
Former FBI Director James Comey filed a motion Monday to dismiss his federal criminal case, claiming “vindictive prosecution.” He also challenged the appointment of US Attorney Lindsey Halligan. A grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia indicted Comey in September on two counts: making false statements and obstructing a congressional proceeding. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison.
Comey is fighting the federal criminal case, citing “vindictive prosecution” and challenging the appointment of Lindsey Halligan.
James Comey cited two other cases while challenging Halligan’s appointment as interim US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Pam Bondi acted quickly, retroactively appointing Lindsey Halligan as a “special attorney” in response to Comey’s effort to remove her.
“On September 22, 2025, I exercised the authority vested in the Attorney General by 28 U.S.C. § 546 to designate and appoint Lindsey Halligan as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia,” Bondi wrote in a new order dated October 31.
“For the avoidance of doubt as to the validity of that appointment, and by virtue of the authority vested in the Attorney General by law, including 28 U.S.C. § 509, 510, and 515, I hereby appoint Ms. Halligan to the additional position of Special Attorney, as of September 22, 2025, and thereby ratify her employment as an attorney of the Department of Justice from that date going forward,” Bondi said.
As a “special attorney,” Halligan has the authority to conduct legal proceedings before judges and magistrates.
“As Special Attorney, Ms. Halligan has authority to conduct, in the Eastern District of Virginia, any kind of legal proceeding, civil or criminal, including grand jury proceedings and proceedings before United States Magistrates and Judges,” Bondi wrote.
Bondi specifically granted Halligan the authority to handle the cases against Comey and James.
“In the alternative, should a court conclude that Ms. Halligan’s authority as Special Attorney is limited to particular matters, I hereby delegate to Ms. Halligan authority as Special Attorney to conduct and supervise the prosecutions in United States v. Comey (Case No. 1:25-CR-00272) and United States v. James (Case No. 2:25-CR-00122),” Bondi said.
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