White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that the Department of Justice will appeal a federal judge's decision to dismiss cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Leavitt blamed U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie, who ruled that President Donald Trump unlawfully appointed his personal attorney, Lindsey Halligan, as interim U.S. attorney, without Senate confirmation.
"I know there was a judge who was clearly trying to shield Letitia James and James Comey from receiving accountability and that's why they took this unprecedented action to throw away the indictments against these two individuals but 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," Leavitt said.
Halligan, whom the judge referred to in the opinion as "a former White House aide with no prior prosecutorial experience," could potentially be disbarred.
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement Monday afternoon, "The facts of the indictments against Comey and James have not changed and this will not be the final word on this matter."