Lawyer chosen as top federal prosecutor in Virginia fired just hours later
A Washington Examiner report describes a rapid turnover in the eastern District of Virginia, where James Hundley, a defense attorney chosen by federal judges to serve as interim U.S. Attorney, was fired just hours after his appointment.
– Hundley was appointed by a panel of EDVA judges to replace Lindsey Halligan, whose Trump-era term ended in January.
– Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced Hundley’s firing on X (formerly Twitter) the same day.
– The episode highlights a dispute over who appoints U.S. Attorneys: judges can name an interim when a previous term expires and no Senate-confirmed nominee is in place, but the Trump management argues final authority lies with the President.
– The firing mirrors a similar case in New York, where attorney Donald Kinsella was dismissed hours after being selected by judges.
– Background: Halligan, a former personal attorney to Trump, secured indictments against James Comey and Letitia James, but Judge Cameron McGowan Currie ruled Halligan was unlawfully appointed because an interim appointment had already been made; the DOJ has appealed.
– Virginia judges are seeking a replacement to serve “until the position is filled by a Senate-confirmed person,” with applications due by February 10.
The article frames this as part of ongoing controversy over EDVA U.S. Attorney appointments and their political implications.
Lawyer chosen as top federal prosecutor for Virginia is fired just hours later
The Justice Department has fired a lawyer picked to serve as the top federal prosecutor in Virginia, just hours after he was appointed by judges.
The panel of federal judges selected defense attorney James Hundley to serve as the interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, replacing Lindsey Halligan, the appointee of President Donald Trump whose term lapsed in January. But Hundley did not see out the day, as Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced his firing on X on Friday evening.
“Here we go again. EDVA judges do not pick our U.S. Attorney. POTUS does. James Hundley, you’re fired!” Blanche wrote.
District court judges are legally allowed to appoint an interim U.S. attorney when the previous interim appointee’s 120-day term expires, and the Senate has not confirmed another nominee. But the Trump administration has argued against this method, maintaining that final authority over nominations to U.S. attorney positions lies with the President.
The president also retains the right to fire any court-appointed U.S. attorney, leaving the district in a possible push-and-pull loop.
The move nearly identically mirrors that of a DOJ firing last week, in which Blanche announced attorney Donald Kinsella was fired from his post as acting U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York just hours after he was selected by judges. Kinsella was tapped to replace interim Trump-appointed John Sarcone III after his 120-day term expired.
The EDVA has been the focus of controversy over the past several months as Halligan, a former personal attorney to Trump, secured indictments against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, both perceived as political enemies of Trump. She has faced numerous questions from their attorneys over the legality of her appointment.
U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie ruled in November that Halligan was unlawfully appointed because the DOJ had already appointed a 120-day interim U.S. Attorney before her, dismissing the indictments against Comey and James. The DOJ has appealed that ruling.
DOJ FIRES JUDGE-APPOINTED ACTING US ATTORNEY IN NEW YORK
The Virginia judges announced they would be seeking a replacement for Halligan after her term expired in January, asking interested lawyers to apply by Feb. 10. The court marketed the position as one that runs “until the position is filled by a Senate-confirmed person.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to Hundley for comment.
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