'Never occurred before': Ex-Trump lawyer says Bondi may be disbarred over huge DOJ mistake
An ex-Trump attorney said that U.S. Attorney Pam Bondi could be disbarred over potential misconduct in the case against James Comey, former FBI director.
The case was against Comey was never shown to or voted on by a full grand jury before it was presented in open court — which could lead to Bondi and Lindsay Halligan, interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia — to be disbarred, Ty Cobb, former White House attorney during President Donald Trump's first administration, told MSNBC anchor Chris Jansing on Wednesday.
Comey's defense team argued that development should prevent further prosecution in the case, saying "there is no indictment," and Judge Michael Nachmanoff gave the Department of Justice until 5 p.m. to respond to the revelations.
"Because typically, if an indictment is dismissed, the government has six months to represent, notwithstanding the expiration of the statute of limitations," Cobb said. "This is an indictment, though, that doesn't really have to be dismissed. It doesn't really exist. It was never properly returned. So I think this is I think what we heard today, shocking never, never occurred before in American jurisprudence. I think it was will be dispositive. But on the other hand, there's so many dispositive issues here, including her illegal appointment."
Cobb called the move surprising and pointed to Halligan's "illegal appointment."
"It's shocking you couldn't find a high school stock boy at Home Depot who could have handled this more ineptly than Lindsey Halligan did," Cobb said. You know, taking an indictment that the grand jury never saw, having the foreman sign it and then presenting it to a judge? That's the height of ineptitude and misconduct."
Cobb also noted Bondi had backed up Halligan's documents in court, which could lead to Bondi herself being disbarred.
Jansing also asked Cobb about the Epstein files and what could happen next as the legislation heads to his desk.
" Trump has no intention of releasing any documents. He and Bondi will scheme and prevent the release, in my view. I don't think we'll see any meaningful or consequential documents come out after this based on Trump's order to prosecute Democrats, not Republicans.
Bondi could use a legal loophole to try and argue the information is still tied to litigation. Trump, he argued, has no interest in releasing the files and only made his move when Republicans said they would push for the files to be released.
"It's not sincere or genuine. He could have released the documents himself without the legislation," Cobb said.
But Trump wants to "be on the winning side," and that's why he reversed his stance.
"Contrary to Bondi's lies this morning, there is no new information. The government has all this information," Cobb said.
Bondi has been on record saying no more new cases could be brought against anyone now.
"Whatever's happening now is just a fraud," he added.
Protester holds a sign referring to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) on Capitol Hill. REUTERS/Annabelle Gordon