Lindsey Halligan steps down from Eastern Virginia attorney role following court decisions
TOI GLOBAL DESK | TOI GLOBAL | Jan 21, 2026, 19:13 IST
In a surprising turn, Lindsey Halligan has stepped down from her position as the interim US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, following a ruling by federal judges that declared her appointment invalid. This development highlights ongoing tensions between the Justice Department and the judiciary regarding her controversial role, which was notably established amidst investigations into political rivals.
Lindsey Halligan, the Trump-appointed interim US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, has departed her post after federal judges ruled her appointment unlawful and barred her from continuing to serve as the region's top federal prosecutor. Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed Halligan's exit Tuesday night, following the expiration of her 120-day interim term and after district judges made it clear she could not remain in the role. This departure concludes months of escalating conflict between the Justice Department and federal courts regarding the legality of her appointment.
Halligan's tenure was contentious from its inception. She was appointed abruptly in September following the resignation of her predecessor. Shortly after taking office, she initiated indictments against two prominent perceived political adversaries of President Donald Trump: former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. However, in November, a federal judge declared Halligan's appointment unlawful, leading to the dismissal of both cases. The Justice Department has since appealed this decision.
Despite the November ruling, the Trump administration maintained Halligan in her position, which led to further judicial intervention. Earlier this month, US District Judge David Novak ordered Halligan to provide an explanation for her continued use of the title "United States Attorney," cautioning that such usage could constitute a false or misleading statement. On Tuesday, Judge Novak escalated his order, directing Halligan to cease identifying herself as US attorney altogether. He characterized her continued use of the title as a "charade" and "masquerading" in defiance of court directives.
In a separate but related action, Chief US District Judge M Hannah Lauck invoked the court’s statutory authority to commence the process of appointing a court-selected interim US attorney. This interim appointment will remain in effect until a Senate-confirmed nominee is installed. Judge Lauck directed that expressions of interest for this position be solicited publicly.
Attorney General Pam Bondi expressed strong criticism of the outcome, describing Halligan's departure as "a significant loss for the Department of Justice." Bondi argued that court rulings of this nature hinder a president's ability to staff critical law-enforcement positions. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche echoed this sentiment, reiterating that the president possesses the ultimate authority to select US attorneys. He suggested that any replacement appointed by the court would be promptly removed.
Halligan's exit represents the latest setback for President Trump's efforts to place loyalists in key prosecutorial roles. Last year, Alina Habba, another former personal lawyer for Trump, was compelled to leave her role as US attorney in New Jersey after an appeals court deemed her appointment unlawful.
Lindsey Halligan was born on July 21, 1989. She is an American attorney whose ascent in Republican politics was closely linked to Donald Trump. Halligan began her legal career as an insurance defense lawyer and became a partner at the firm Cole, Scott & Kissane in 2018.
Halligan joined Trump’s legal orbit in 2022, when he appointed her to his personal legal team. She was involved in several of his most sensitive legal matters. These included litigation concerning the FBI’s search of Mar-a-Lago, efforts to challenge Trump’s eligibility under the Fourteenth Amendment, a defamation lawsuit against CNN, and behind-the-scenes attempts to dissuade the Justice Department from indicting Trump over his handling of classified documents.
In January 2025, Trump appointed Halligan as a senior associate staff secretary in the White House. She later also served as a special assistant to the president. In this capacity, she advocated for aggressive action against exhibits she perceived as anti-American at Smithsonian Institution museums. She became a trusted aide within the administration.
Despite lacking any prior experience as a federal prosecutor or in handling Justice Department cases, Trump installed Halligan in September 2025 as interim US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. This appointment followed pressure exerted on veteran prosecutor Erik Siebert. Judges later concluded that this appointment violated federal law, initiating a legal battle that ultimately concluded her tenure.
Halligan has contended that she was left in legal uncertainty by the courts. She stated that judges treated her as removed from office without formally appointing a replacement.
Halligan's tenure was contentious from its inception. She was appointed abruptly in September following the resignation of her predecessor. Shortly after taking office, she initiated indictments against two prominent perceived political adversaries of President Donald Trump: former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. However, in November, a federal judge declared Halligan's appointment unlawful, leading to the dismissal of both cases. The Justice Department has since appealed this decision.
Despite the November ruling, the Trump administration maintained Halligan in her position, which led to further judicial intervention. Earlier this month, US District Judge David Novak ordered Halligan to provide an explanation for her continued use of the title "United States Attorney," cautioning that such usage could constitute a false or misleading statement. On Tuesday, Judge Novak escalated his order, directing Halligan to cease identifying herself as US attorney altogether. He characterized her continued use of the title as a "charade" and "masquerading" in defiance of court directives.
In a separate but related action, Chief US District Judge M Hannah Lauck invoked the court’s statutory authority to commence the process of appointing a court-selected interim US attorney. This interim appointment will remain in effect until a Senate-confirmed nominee is installed. Judge Lauck directed that expressions of interest for this position be solicited publicly.
Attorney General Pam Bondi expressed strong criticism of the outcome, describing Halligan's departure as "a significant loss for the Department of Justice." Bondi argued that court rulings of this nature hinder a president's ability to staff critical law-enforcement positions. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche echoed this sentiment, reiterating that the president possesses the ultimate authority to select US attorneys. He suggested that any replacement appointed by the court would be promptly removed.
Halligan's exit represents the latest setback for President Trump's efforts to place loyalists in key prosecutorial roles. Last year, Alina Habba, another former personal lawyer for Trump, was compelled to leave her role as US attorney in New Jersey after an appeals court deemed her appointment unlawful.
Lindsey Halligan was born on July 21, 1989. She is an American attorney whose ascent in Republican politics was closely linked to Donald Trump. Halligan began her legal career as an insurance defense lawyer and became a partner at the firm Cole, Scott & Kissane in 2018.
Halligan joined Trump’s legal orbit in 2022, when he appointed her to his personal legal team. She was involved in several of his most sensitive legal matters. These included litigation concerning the FBI’s search of Mar-a-Lago, efforts to challenge Trump’s eligibility under the Fourteenth Amendment, a defamation lawsuit against CNN, and behind-the-scenes attempts to dissuade the Justice Department from indicting Trump over his handling of classified documents.
In January 2025, Trump appointed Halligan as a senior associate staff secretary in the White House. She later also served as a special assistant to the president. In this capacity, she advocated for aggressive action against exhibits she perceived as anti-American at Smithsonian Institution museums. She became a trusted aide within the administration.
Despite lacking any prior experience as a federal prosecutor or in handling Justice Department cases, Trump installed Halligan in September 2025 as interim US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. This appointment followed pressure exerted on veteran prosecutor Erik Siebert. Judges later concluded that this appointment violated federal law, initiating a legal battle that ultimately concluded her tenure.
Halligan has contended that she was left in legal uncertainty by the courts. She stated that judges treated her as removed from office without formally appointing a replacement.