This article is from: srnnews.com
(Corrects to show James case dismissed as well as Comey’s, corrects reasoning behind dismissal)
By Andrew Goudsward
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A federal judge on Monday dismissed criminal charges against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, finding that the U.S. Attorney hand-picked by President Donald Trump to bring the cases was unlawfully appointed in a ruling that dealt a major blow to the Justice Department’s efforts to pursue perceived political enemies of the president.
The ruling throws out two cases Trump had publicly called for as he pressured Justice Department leaders to move against high-profile figures who had criticized him and led investigations into his conduct.
Lindsey Halligan, a former personal lawyer to Trump, was named interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia in September to take over both investigations despite having no previous prosecutorial experience.
(Reporting by Andrew Goudsward; editing by Scott Malone and Bill Berkrot)
Brought to you by www.srnnews.com
