Overview

• Cleary’s removal from the Alexandria-based office was reported by CNN, which cited two people familiar with the matter, and the Justice Department declined to comment on her status.
• A veteran prosecutor who briefly led the office before Halligan’s installation, Cleary was later named first assistant and had opposed charging James Comey, staying off the government table during the indictment presentation.
• Halligan has moved quickly to assert control, personally appearing in proceedings and pushing cases against Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, a hands-on approach unusual for a U.S. attorney.
• Erik Siebert, the first Trump-appointed U.S. attorney in the district, resigned under pressure from President Trump after resistance emerged over pursuing charges against Comey.
• Recent personnel changes include the firings of career prosecutors Michael Ben’Ary and Maya Song and the resignation of Troy Edwards Jr., with Ben’Ary publicly warning that leadership is prioritizing the president’s perceived enemies over national security.