Overview
- U.S. District Judge David J. Novak directed Halligan to file a signed explanation within seven days for identifying herself as U.S. attorney in a December 2 indictment.
- Novak warned her identification may be a false or misleading statement subject to professional discipline and asked why it should not be struck from the indictment.
- He emphasized that Senior Judge Cameron McGowan Currie’s November 24 decision finding Halligan’s appointment unlawful remains controlling in the Eastern District of Virginia absent a stay, even as the Justice Department appeals.
- Currie’s ruling led to the dismissal of indictments against James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, yet Halligan continued to sign filings as “United States Attorney.”
- In a related development Thursday, a federal judge in New York disqualified acting U.S. attorney John Sarcone III and quashed subpoenas to Letitia James, underscoring broader judicial pushback against similar Trump-era interim appointments.