A federal judge dismissed the charges against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James after finding President Donald Trump had unlawfully appointed the U.S. attorney who prosecuted them — and the administration instantly became a target for mockery.
Trump appointed former White House aide Lindsey Halligan as interim U.S. attorney despite having no prosecutorial experience, and U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie agreed with attorneys for two of Trump's political enemies and dismissed both cases.
He ruled that Halligan had been improperly installed as US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia because it wasn't approved by the Senate, and she had no authority.
"I agree with Mr. Comey that the Attorney General’s attempt to install Ms. Halligan as Interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia was invalid," Currie wrote. "And because Ms. Halligan had no lawful authority to present the indictment, I will grant Mr. Comey’s motion and dismiss the indictment without prejudice."
Trump critics gloated online over the judge's ruling.
"I am heartened by today’s victory and grateful for the prayers and support I have received from around the country," James posted on her X account. "I remain fearless in the face of these baseless charges as I continue fighting for New Yorkers every single day."
"Rule of law: 1, authoritarian revenge lust: 0," posted Mother Jones' David Corn.
"I'm not sure what it's gonna take for people to realize that being subject to a sick burn in a judicial opinion is not something that will dissuade Trump or his cronies," opined widely followed Bluesky user mtsw. "They will push and push and try again and again until something sticks unless they are sanctioned and punished!"
"Because Judge Currie says the govt can’t keep appointing acting US Attys after an initial 120 day appt, it’s now up to the local district judges to name an acting us atty," said former U.S. attorney Joyce Vance. "They’re likely to name someone who will stand for the rule of law & not reindict bad cases. But expect DOJ to contest that, both in court and by trying to install their own pick under other rules. They only have 6 months to reindict. As a practical matter, it’s unclear any of this resolves that quickly. It’s a mess."
"To no one’s surprise, federal judge just dismissed the extremely thin Trump DOJ cases against Jim Comey and Letitia James," added political scientist Larry Sabato. "The Trump Department of 'Justice' has two more black eyes."
"This footnote from Judge Currie's ruling could be crucial," noted Adam Klasfeld, of All Rise News. "She writes that the statute of limitations was never tolled by the invalid indictment. If that's the case, Comey's statute of limitations has lapsed."
"The Trump admin has now had four U.S. attorneys (Halligan, Habba, Chattah, Essayli) disqualified and two high-profile indictments (Comey & James) dismissed as a result of its efforts to install loyalists by circumventing Senate confirmation process for top federal prosecutors," said Politico's Erica Orden.
"The judge got in a dig at Halligan in the first line of the decision tossing out the Comey & James charges," pointed out congressional correspondent Jamie Dupree, showing where the judge noted Halligan had no prosecutorial experience.
"Lindsey Halligan can go back to her previous job as an extra on Dynasty," joked journalist Marisa Kabas.