Overview
- Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick directed prosecutors to provide James Comey’s lawyers all grand jury minutes, recordings, and related materials by the end of the day.
- He found two statements by acting U.S. attorney Lindsey Halligan to grand jurors were fundamental misstatements of law that could compromise the process.
- The opinion cites potential violations of attorney–client privilege and the Fourth Amendment, including an FBI agent exposed to privileged material who then testified to the grand jury.
- The court flagged irregularities in the record, noting missing portions of the transcript and indications that a second indictment followed an initial rejection by jurors.
- Challenges to Halligan’s appointment and claims of vindictive prosecution are still pending, and the case remains set for trial on January 5, 2026, even as dismissal is now a realistic prospect.