Overview

• James Comey appeared in court Wednesday, a judge set January 5 as the first trial day, he was not detained, and his lawyers plan to challenge U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan’s appointment.
• Democratic senators accused Attorney General Pam Bondi of turning the department into a shield for President Trump’s allies, with Dick Durbin calling the shift a stain on the Justice Department.
• Bondi rejected the allegations and said the department is refocusing on its core mission of fighting crime.
• After Trump publicly urged prosecutions, the Justice Department indicted Comey and opened investigations involving Adam Schiff and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
• Erik Siebert, the Virginia prosecutor who reportedly declined to charge Comey, resigned and was replaced by Halligan, a former Trump lawyer who prepared the indictment that a grand jury approved.