The Department of Justice is exploring whether to file new criminal cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James after a federal judge last month dismissed the original indictments against both officials, according to a report by Politico.
Rather than challenge the rulings through the courts, the department is weighing whether to allow the dismissals to stand and instead pursue alternative legal filings, the outlet reported, citing two people with direct knowledge of the matter.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt accused the judge (who dismissed the indictments) of attempting to “shield” Comey and James from “accountability” and said the administration intended to fight back.
“And it is our position that Lindsey Halligan is extremely qualified for this position, but more importantly, was legally appointed to it,” she told reporters outside the White House.
The Department of Justice is exploring whether to file new criminal cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James after a federal judge last month dismissed the original indictments against both officials, according to a report by Politico.
Rather than challenge the rulings through the courts, the department is weighing whether to allow the dismissals to stand and instead pursue alternative legal filings, the outlet reported, citing two people with direct knowledge of the matter.
The Justice Department declined to comment when contacted, Fox News reports.
The legal setback stems from a decision issued last week by Senior U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie, who ruled that Lindsey Halligan’s appointment as interim U.S. attorney was unlawful and therefore invalidated the indictments handled under her authority.
In separate orders, the judge concluded that the procedural defect undermined the legitimacy of both cases. The judge wrote, “because Ms. Halligan had no lawful authority to present the indictment, I will… dismiss the indictment without prejudice.”
Following the court’s ruling, the administration quickly signaled resistance.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt accused the judge of attempting to “shield” Comey and James from “accountability” and said the administration intended to fight back.
“And it is our position that Lindsey Halligan is extremely qualified for this position, but more importantly, was legally appointed to it,” she told reporters outside the White House.
Attorney General Pam Bondi echoed that stance in public remarks, vowing to contest the court’s decision while reaffirming the administration’s intent to continue pursuing both officials.
“We’ll be taking all available legal action, including an immediate appeal, to hold Letitia James and James Comey accountable for their unlawful conduct,” Bondi said at a press conference last week.
While officials have publicly spoken of an appeal, Politico reported the department may ultimately take a different route — one that would bring the cases back to court through newly structured indictments rather than revisiting the original ones.
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