Overview
- Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick directed prosecutors to provide James Comey’s defense with all grand jury materials and audio by the end of the day.
- The ruling flags two statements by interim U.S. attorney Lindsey Halligan as apparent misstatements of law, including language that could undermine Comey’s Fifth Amendment protections.
- Fitzpatrick criticized the government’s reuse of data seized in 2019–2020 from Daniel Richman without a new warrant and noted exposure to potentially privileged attorney‑client communications.
- The court highlighted irregularities in the record, including roughly two hours lacking a transcript and uncertainty over whether a revised indictment was actually presented to the grand jury.
- The judge wrote that grounds may exist to dismiss the indictment, as a separate challenge to Halligan’s appointment is pending with a decision expected before Thanksgiving and a Jan. 5 trial date still on the calendar.