Judge Dismisses Comey Case, Declares Trump-Appointed Prosecutor Illegally Installed
Former FBI Director James Comey testifies before a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Russia's alleged interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., June 8, 2017. A federal judge has dismissed criminal charges against former FBI Director James Comey, delivering a sharp rebuke to the Trump-appointed prosecutor who pursued the case. The ruling marks a significant setback for efforts by President Donald Trump’s allies to prosecute perceived political opponents. U.S. District Judge Cameron Currie found that Lindsey Halligan, the interim U.S. attorney who brought the indictment, was unlawfully appointed. Halligan, a former Trump lawyer with no prior prosecutorial experience, bypassed Senate confirmation when she was installed to lead the Eastern District of Virginia. The judge concluded that all actions taken under her authority—including the indictment of Comey—were invalid. The case against Comey, filed in September, a...
