A US District Judge is weighing whether to dismiss cases brought by Lindsey Halligan, a Trump ally with no prosecutorial experience, against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. The Justice Department lawyer, Henry Whitaker, characterized questions about Halligan’s appointment as a “paperwork error.” However, the judge has serious concerns, including gaps in the transcript of the grand jury proceedings in the Comey case. Halligan was appointed as acting US attorney just three days after her predecessor resigned and presented cases against Comey and James to grand juries on her own.
Halligan’s opponents argue that because her appointment was unlawful, she was essentially a private citizen at the time, and the indictments against them should be tossed. Lawyers for Comey and James contend that the 120-day limit for US attorney appointments does not start over with Halligan’s appointment. The Justice Department claims that a new indictment may be returned within six months of the dismissal of the indictment or information.
The judge is also considering whether to allow Bondi, who appointed Halligan as “special attorney,” to have any authority in the case. Critics say that Halligan’s actions appear to constitute an abuse of power and undermine public confidence in the Department of Justice.
Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/hearing-lindsey-halligan-trump-comey-james-rcna243270