A federal judge dismissed the criminal charges against former FBI Director James B. Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James on Monday, finding that the interim U.S. attorney who secured the indictments was illegally appointed.
In two separate orders, Judge Cameron McGowan Currie found that Lindsey Halligan has been “unlawfully” serving as interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia since September, when the Justice Department appointed the Trump ally to the role.
The ruling is a major blow to the two high-profile but much-criticized cases the Justice Department brought after Trump demanded that Attorney General Pamela Bondi prosecute his longtime foes. Both prosecutions have drawn heavy criticism from legal experts.
