Federal Judges Move to Remove Trump-Appointed Virginia U.S. Attorney

Chief U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck directed the Eastern District of Virginia clerk to publish a vacancy announcement and solicit expressions of interest to replace Lindsey Halligan, noting Halligan's 120-day appointment had expired and setting a Feb. 10, 2026 application deadline, according to the court order.

The moves follow U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie's November ruling that Lindsey Halligan's September appointment was unlawful under the Constitution's Appointments Clause and led Currie to dismiss indictments Halligan secured against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, court records show.

U.S. District Judge David Novak struck the words "United States Attorney" from an indictment signature block and barred Halligan from representing herself with that title, warning he will initiate disciplinary proceedings if she or co-signers persist, according to Novak's opinion.

Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche joined Halligan's filings defending her authority and calling Novak's inquiry an "inquisition," and Halligan is one of five U.S. attorneys nationwide whom federal judges have disqualified, court filings and reports show.

The Justice Department has appealed Judge Currie's November ruling and President Donald Trump has nominated Halligan, while the court's hiring notice and Novak's disciplinary warning signal ongoing litigation and the possibility of an interim successor after the Feb. 10, 2026 deadline, court records show.