Archive · 21 Jan 2026
Virginia Attorney Halligan Leaves After Term Ends
Lindsey Halligan, who was the interim United States Attorney in eastern Virginia, is leaving her job.
A judge said she could only work for 120 days and her appointment was not legal.
The Department of Justice disagreed and said the judge was wrong.
Halligan had charged two people who were seen as opponents of President Trump.
The judge also said Halligan could not call herself the US Attorney anymore.
The Department of Justice said this was a bad decision and would make it harder to keep people safe.
Halligan worked hard to protect people in Virginia, but now she has to leave.
Lindsey Halligan, the interim US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, is leaving her position after a judge ruled her appointment was unlawful.
Halligan's term was limited to 120 days, and a judge ruled she could not stay beyond that period.
The Department of Justice argued that the judge's ruling was a gross abuse of power and hindered their ability to keep the American people safe.
During her tenure, Halligan secured indictments against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Judge David Novak ruled that Halligan had no legal basis to represent herself as the US Attorney and that any such representation would be a false statement.
- Who
- Lindsey Halligan, the interim United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia
- What
- Halligan is leaving her position after a judge ruled her appointment was unlawful and her term ended
- When
- After completing her 120-day term
- Where
- Eastern District of Virginia
- Why
- A judge ruled that her appointment was unlawful and she could not stay beyond her term
Department of Justice
Judge David Novak
Appointment Validity
Department of Justice
The Department of Justice argued that Halligan was not required to relinquish her title and that a single judge did not have the authority to prevent it from asserting its legal position.
Judge David Novak
Judge David Novak ruled that Halligan's appointment was unlawful and that she had no legal basis to represent herself as the US Attorney.
- Name
- Lindsey Halligan
- Position
- Interim United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia
- Term Duration
- 120 days
- Key Cases
- Indictments against James Comey and Letitia James
- Judge's Ruling
- Appointment unlawful, indictments dismissed
- Announced By
- Attorney General Pam Bondi
- Department of Justice's Stance
- Argued against the judge's ruling, calling it a gross abuse of power