US EditionDOJ Fires Virginia U.S. Attorney Hours After Appointment by Federal Judges
The Justice Department dismissed James Hundley hours after judges appointed him, continuing a dispute over interim U.S. attorney appointment authority involving multiple districts, officials said.
- The U.S. Department of Justice, led by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, fired James Hundley just hours after federal judges unanimously appointed him as interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.
- The move reflects an escalating dispute between the Trump administration and federal judges over who has the authority to appoint U.S. attorneys — the courts or the executive branch.
- The Virginia office has faced months of turmoil, including the resignation of prosecutor Erik Siebert and the controversial appointment of former Trump lawyer Lindsey Halligan, whose appointment was later ruled unlawful, leading to dismissed indictments against James Comey and Letitia James.
- The firing is part of a broader pattern of clashes nationwide, including a similar case in northern New York, as the Justice Department and courts battle over temporary U.S. attorney appointments.
109 Articles
109 Articles
DOJ Fires Interim US Attorney Hours After Virginia Court Selects Him
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced that it fired the interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia just hours after judges on the court made the appointment. “Here we go again. EDVA judges do not pick our US Attorney. POTUS does,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche wrote in a post on Feb. 20, referring to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. “James Hundley, you’re fired!” Blanche was responding …
Justice Dept. fires Hundley
WASHINGTON — A lawyer picked by judges to serve as the top federal prosecutor for a Virginia office that pursued cases against foes of President Donald Trump was swiftly fired Friday by the Justice Department in the latest clash over…
The Department of Justice dismissed on Friday the lawyer who had been appointed hours earlier as an interim federal prosecutor for the East District of Virginia, in the midst of a dispute over the authority to hold that office.Read more
DOJ moves quickly to boot judge-appointed Virginia US attorney
The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday fired the top prosecutor leading the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia office hours after he took on the role to replace former Trump lawyer Lindsey Halligan. U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck administered the oath of office after longtime litigator James Hundley was unanimously appointed…
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