MEMPHIS – Attorney General Pam Bondi vowed to appeal Monday’s ruling by a federal judge to dismiss the Virginia criminal cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
“We’ll be taking all available legal action, including an immediate appeal to hold Letitia James and James Comey accountable for their unlawful conduct,” Bondi said at a press conference in Memphis.
Earlier Monday, US District Judge Cameron Currie dismissed the pair of cases against Comey and James, finding that interim US Attorney Lindsey Halligan was improperly appointed to her position and “had no lawful authority” to secure indictments of either of President Trump’s longtime adversaries.
Halligan, Trump’s pick for prosecutor, has not been confirmed by the US Senate. She stepped in on Sept. 22 as interim US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia after the previous interim prosecutor, Erik Siebert, was pushed out after failing to prosecute Comey and James.
Comey was charged with lying to Congress and obstruction of justice for statements in a Sept. 30, 2020, Senate Judiciary Committee hearing about leaks to the press involving high-profile FBI probes.
In a video statement, the former FBI chief said he was grateful the court ended a case that was based on “malevolence and incompetence and a reflection of what the Department of Justice has become under Donald Trump, which is heartbreaking.”
Asked about Comey’s statement, Bondi said: “I’m not worried about someone who has been charged with a very serious crime. His alleged actions were a betrayal of public trust.”
Both indictments were dismissed without prejudice, which typically means that the cases can be brought again.
James was accused of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution in buying a Norfolk, Va. home.
Bondi, who was visiting Memphis to tout the drastic reduction in crime achieved by a Trump-led federal task force, stood by her top prosecutor in Virginia.
“Lindsey Halligan is an excellent US attorney, and shame on them for not wanting her in office,” Bondi said.
