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Lindsey Halligan exits US attorney post after judge’s stunning ‘cable news network’ callout

In a statement Tuesday night, Halligan said her 120-day appointment in the interim role “concluded” January 20.
In a statement Tuesday night, Halligan said her 120-day appointment in the interim role “concluded” January 20. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
  • Lindsey Halligan has resigned from her role as a top federal prosecutor in Virginia, following a federal judge's ruling that she was unlawfully serving in the position.
  • Judge David Novak criticized Halligan's “vitriolic” defense of her continued use of the “U.S. Attorney” title, stating it ignored a binding court order and was a “charade.”
  • The judge said her defense “contains a level of vitriol more appropriate for a cable news talk show and falls far beneath the level of advocacy expected from litigants in this Court, particularly the Department of Justice.”
  • Halligan's interim appointment, made by Donald Trump, was found to have exceeded the 120-day limit, rendering her actions, including politically charged indictments against adversaries, unlawful.
  • Halligan is among at least five U.S. attorneys appointed by Donald Trump who were determined to be serving unlawfully, with similar rulings affecting prosecutors in New Jersey, New York, Nevada and Los Angeles.
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