Lindsey Halligan, installed by President Trump in September as interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, has moved aggressively—filing indictments against former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and State Department adviser Ashley Tellis.
Critics questioned Halligan’s qualifications given her lack of prosecutorial experience, but she quickly responded with high-profile charges. Comey is accused of making false statements and obstructing a congressional proceeding tied to his 2020 Senate testimony. James faces bank fraud and false statement charges involving a Virginia mortgage and allegedly falsified property documents. Tellis has been indicted for unlawfully retaining more than 1,000 pages of classified materials at his home in Virginia.
These prosecutions mark a dramatic turn in the Trump administration’s approach to justice—targeting high-ranking figures previously considered untouchable. Halligan’s swift action reflects a clear mandate from the White House to pursue legal accountability, regardless of political status.
Whether these charges will lead to convictions remains to be seen, but they already set the stage for a series of legal battles that could reshape the federal power structure and send shockwaves through the political elite.
