Interim U.S. attorney Lindsey Halligan departed Eastern District of Virginia after federal judge ruled her 120-day appointment invalid, creating legal standoff over authority.
The interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia left her post after completing a 120-day appointment amid a legal standoff in which a federal judge questioned her authority, declined to appoint a successor and triggered an appeal over separation of powers.
Former Trump lawyer Lindsey Halligan announced her departure Tuesday, saying a federal judge ruled in November that her appointment was invalid and that only the district court had the authority to name an interim successor following Erik Siebert’s exit.
She said the ruling led the court to treat her appointment as disqualifying, including striking her name from court filings.
„I was subjected to baseless accusations of lying to a tribunal and making false or misleading statements“, Halligan wrote. „I was ordered to respond to sua sponte orders and to personally sign filings explaining why my name appeared on pleadings, diverting time and resources from public safety responsibilities.
