DOJ CRISIS EXPLODES: Federal Judges in Virginia Fury Over Trump Appointee Lindsey Halligan – “Fake US Attorney” Name Still on Court Filings Despite Ruling She’s Illegally Appointed!
In a stunning escalation on December 15, 2025, federal judges in Virginia’s Eastern District are publicly rebuking the Department of Justice for continuing to list Lindsey Halligan – Donald Trump’s loyalist pick – as U.S. Attorney on new criminal filings, even after a ruling declared her appointment invalid. Multiple judges have struck her name from documents directly from the bench, warning that this defiance risks tainting countless ongoing prosecutions.
Halligan, a former personal lawyer for Trump with zero federal prosecution experience, was installed as interim U.S. Attorney after the previous appointee, Erik Siebert, resigned under pressure for refusing to pursue politically motivated cases. She quickly targeted Trump’s perceived enemies, indicting former FBI Director James Comey and New York AG Letitia James.
In November 2025, Judge Cameron McGowan Currie tossed those indictments, ruling Halligan’s appointment violated federal law limiting interim terms to 120 days. Authority to extend or appoint then shifts to district judges, not Attorney General Pam Bondi – rendering Halligan’s role legally void.
Yet the DOJ, under Bondi and Deputy AG Todd Blanch, has directed line prosecutors to keep Halligan’s name on indictments, pleas, and filings. Judges like Leonie Brinkema erupted in court: “Why is a fake U.S. Attorney’s name still appearing and potentially poisoning every other case?”
One judge likened the situation to a “streaker crashing a baseball game” – initially amusing but now dangerously disrupting justice. Drug trafficking, fraud, espionage, and sex crime cases unrelated to politics could all face challenges if overseen by someone without legal authority.
The DOJ has doubled down, accusing judges of “bias” and “undemocratic judicial activism.” Bondi and Blanch framed Halligan as a victim of a “hostile campaign,” insisting her team is ethically defending the department – echoing Trump’s playbook of labeling legal pushback a “hoax.”
This unprecedented standoff puts assistant prosecutors in an impossible bind: follow DOJ orders and risk court sanctions, or comply with judges and face internal backlash. The broader danger is systemic – convictions could be overturned on technical grounds, wasting years of investigative work.
At its core, the scandal exposes Trump’s pattern of weaponizing the DOJ for political revenge, prioritizing loyalty over competence. Halligan was chosen precisely because Siebert wouldn’t prosecute without evidence – a clear abuse of power that courts are now forcefully rejecting.
As judges stand firm for the rule of law, the crisis underscores a fractured justice system under Trump. With no Senate confirmation in sight and Halligan’s authority a “legal nullity,” America watches whether the DOJ will finally back down – or push the constitutional boundaries even further.
