A federal prosecutor, recently selected by judges for a key Virginia office that pursued cases against figures critical of President Donald Trump, was abruptly dismissed by the Justice Department on Friday. This swift firing marks the latest escalation in an ongoing dispute over the appointments of powerful U.S. attorneys.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the dismissal of James Hundley on social media, shortly after judges unanimously chose him to replace Lindsey Halligan, a lawyer who previously worked for Trump, as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. While legal statutes permit district courts to select U.S. attorneys when an initial appointment expires, the Trump administration has consistently maintained that this power rests solely with the executive branch.
