A federal judge ordered Trump ally Lindsey Halligan to explain why she's identifying herself as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia despite a court ruling that she was unlawfully appointed to the role.
Why it matters: U.S. District Judge David Novak in his order giving Halligan seven days to respond asked her to explain why her actions do not constitute "a false or misleading statement," which the Trump-appointed Richmond judge suggested could potentially result in disciplinary proceedings.
- The order comes weeks after another federal judge dismissed the Department of Justice case against New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) and former FBI Director James Comey, which found that Halligan's appointment was "defective."
- Novak noted that the order came at his own initiative, rather than from an outside party, like defense attorneys.
The big picture: DOJ leadership last month defended Trump's former personal attorney Halligan and accused federal judges of waging a "campaign of bias and hostility" against her.
- Novak noted in his order that while the U.S. government had appealed Cameron McGowan Currie's order in the James and Comey cases, "no stay has been issued" in regards to this.
- "Consequently, it remains the binding precedent in this district and is not subject to being ignored," Novak said.
- Representatives for the DOJ did not immediately respond to Axios' Tuesday night request for comment.
Go deeper: DOJ attacks judges for criticizing Halligan appointment
