Overview
- Defense teams argued Halligan’s installation violated the 120‑day limit on interim U.S. attorneys under 28 U.S.C. § 546, noting EDVA judges had already kept Erik Siebert in place when the Senate had not confirmed a nominee.
- Prosecutors said the indictments need not be tossed even if her status is invalid, pointing to Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Oct. 31 retroactive designation of Halligan as a special attorney and to 18 U.S.C. § 3288’s six‑month reindictment provision.
- Halligan personally presented both cases to grand juries and was the only federal prosecutor to sign the indictments, a fact the judge highlighted while ordering and reviewing full grand jury transcripts after earlier gaps surfaced.
- Currie pressed DOJ lawyers with pointed questions, including about recent rulings against similar interim appointment maneuvers in New Jersey, Nevada and Los Angeles that have created conflicting precedent.
- The Campaign for Accountability filed bar complaints in Florida and Virginia on Nov. 11 seeking investigations into Halligan’s conduct, as separate motions alleging selective or vindictive prosecution proceed on parallel tracks.