Overview
- Robert McBride, 64, was fired as first assistant U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia after he declined to lead a renewed case against James Comey, according to multiple reports.
- The attorney general’s and deputy attorney general’s offices supported his removal, and the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys signed the paperwork finalizing it.
- McBride held private meetings with federal judges without Lindsey Halligan’s knowledge, which some officials viewed as an effort to seek a court appointment to lead the office.
- His ouster leaves the Alexandria-based office without a top career prosecutor as leadership remains unsettled following Halligan’s contested installation.
- U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie previously dismissed the Comey and Letitia James indictments over Halligan’s unlawful appointment and noted the Comey statute of limitations had expired, limiting prospects to refile.