Attorney General Pam Bondi vowed to immediately appeal a federal judge's decision tossing out the Virginia criminal cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
"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 Monday during a press conference in Memphis.
Earlier in the day, U.S. District Judge Cameron Currie dismissed both indictments, ruling that interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan had been improperly appointed and therefore "had no lawful authority" to bring charges against two of President Donald Trump's most prominent political foes.
Halligan, Trump's choice to lead the Eastern District of Virginia, has not been confirmed by the Senate. She assumed the interim role on Sept. 22 after the previous acting prosecutor, Erik Siebert, was removed following his failure to advance cases involving Comey and James.
Comey had faced charges of lying to Congress and obstruction of justice stemming from his testimony in a Sept. 30, 2020, Senate Judiciary Committee hearing regarding leaks surrounding high-profile FBI investigations.
In a video statement after the ruling, Comey thanked the court for shutting down what he called a case built on "malevolence and incompetence," claiming it reflected the state of the Justice Department under Trump.
Bondi dismissed Comey's remarks.
"I'm not worried about someone who has been charged with a very serious crime," she said. "His alleged actions were a betrayal of public trust."
The judge dismissed both indictments without prejudice, leaving the door open for prosecutors to refile the charges.
James had been accused of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution in connection with the purchase of a home in Norfolk, Virginia.
Bondi, in Memphis to highlight crime-reduction efforts led by a Trump-backed federal task force, strongly defended Halligan.
"Lindsey Halligan is an excellent U.S. attorney, and shame on them for not wanting her in office," Bondi said.
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