Overview
- Senior Judge Cameron McGowan Currie said parts of the Comey grand jury transcript appeared missing, prompting a filing from interim U.S. attorney Lindsey Halligan asserting there are no gaps and that the unrecorded period reflected jurors’ private deliberations.
- Attorney General Pam Bondi’s attempt to ratify Halligan’s actions drew scrutiny after the judge noted the transcripts provided to the court were incomplete, and Bondi later reaffirmed her ratification after reviewing what she described as the full record now available.
- Defense lawyers argue Halligan’s appointment violates the Vacancies Reform Act and say career U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert declined to bring charges before Halligan was installed and sought indictments just before the statute of limitations expired.
- A magistrate judge ordered expedited disclosure of grand jury minutes and warrant materials and criticized the prosecution as “indict first, investigate second,” and the Justice Department has moved to contest the disclosure order.
- Currie plans to decide before Thanksgiving whether Halligan lawfully held her role, a ruling that could lead to dismissal or delay of the January trials for James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.