Federal Judge Cameron Currie dismissed charges against former FBI Director James Comey, who was indicted in a federal court in Virginia Crimes of false statement and obstruction of justice After denying his responsibility for leaking information to the press In the research he conducted About Russian intervention In the American elections. Corey also dismissed charges against former New York Attorney General Letitia James, who was accused of making false statements to a financial institution and bank fraud. Both of them, who were considered enemies of US President Donald Trump, have pleaded not guilty.
The judge rejected the case because the public prosecutor responsible for the case, Lindsey Halligan, who was appointed by Trump as acting US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia last September, ‘He had no legal authority to charge’ Because, as Currie points out, his appointment as prosecutor was illegal and abusive Appointments Clause of the United States Constitution.
Halligan thus becomes the fourth federal prosecutor to support Trump Whose appointment was deemed illegal by the judge. The defendants themselves, Comey and James, had appealed against the attorney general, who replaced former Attorney General Eric Seibert after his resignation, specifically because of pressure from the Trump administration to charge Comey.
The judge’s ruling highlights that the 120-day deadline to appoint an acting replacement for Seibert expired before Trump’s attorney general, Pam Bondi, appointed a replacement, so the jurisdiction was in effect the judges of each district. The decision means that The Justice Department could bring charges again against Comey and James, but with a different prosecutor.
Charged with false statement in 2020 appearance
Comey was indicted by a grand jury in Virginia on September 25 on charges of making false statements and obstruction of justice, charges brought by the Department of Justice. The events date back to the former FBI director’s appearance before Congress in 2020, in which he allegedly lied when… He denied responsibility for leaking information to the press Regarding the investigation he conducted into Trump’s relations with Moscow.
After learning of the charges against him two weeks ago, the former FBI director pleaded his innocence. “My heart hurts for the Department of Justice, however I have great confidence in the federal judicial system, and I am innocent“Let’s run an experiment and keep the faith,” he said then.
Trump was not immune from his criticism of Comey, whom he described as a “corrupt cop.” Shortly before the indictment, he complained on social media to the prosecutor, Pam Bondi, about it He acted against many of his political opponentsAmong them is the former director of the FBI.