{"id":2661805,"date":"2026-09-15T16:16:01","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T20:16:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fourth-circuit-weighs-trumps-temporary-us-attorney-appointments\/"},"modified":"2026-09-15T16:17:13","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T20:17:13","slug":"fourth-circuit-weighs-trumps-temporary-us-attorney-appointments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fourth-circuit-weighs-trumps-temporary-us-attorney-appointments\/","title":{"rendered":"Fourth Circuit weighs Trump&#8217;s temporary US attorney appointments"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffourth-circuit-weighs-trumps-temporary-us-attorney-appointments%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2661805&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Biden management&#8217;s attempt to revive two high-profile criminal cases previously dismissed by a federal judge was met with skepticism by a panel of three appeals court judges. The case involved prosecutions against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney general Letitia James, which where dismissed due to questions about whether the interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan was lawfully appointed.The DOJ argued that Halligan&#8217;s appointment was valid as she was filling a vacancy and had not been rejected by the Senate,and that any procedural errors should not warrant dismissing the indictments.Though, concerns were raised about whether her appointment complied with federal law, especially given that she was appointed after the allowed 120-day window and that such appointments could bypass senate approval-a process that might require Supreme Court intervention. The appeals panel appeared skeptical of the DOJ&#8217;s position, with some judges questioning whether the appointment process could be manipulated to circumvent constitutional checks. The controversy over the appointment process extends to other cases, with the DOJ also appealing a ruling in Nevada related to a different U.S. Attorney appointment. The Supreme Court may ultimately decide on these issues, which center on the legality of appointing U.S. Attorneys without Senate approval.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/trump-administration\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"339\">Trump administration\u2019s<\/a> bid to revive two high-profile criminal prosecutions that a federal judge had tossed faced a frosty reception at a federal\u00a0appeals court\u00a0Tuesday, as the judges expressed skepticism about whether the U.S. attorney who brought the charges was lawfully appointed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit heard the Department of Justice\u2019s appeal of the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3897002\/james-comey-letitia-james-indictments-tossed-lindsey-halligan\/\">dismissal of prosecutions<\/a> against former FBI Director <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/james-comey\/\">James Comey<\/a> and New York Attorney General <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/letitia-james\/\">Letitia James<\/a>. The two cases were dismissed after a federal district judge found former interim U.S. Attorney\u00a0Lindsey Halligan, the prosecutor overseeing the cases,\u00a0was unlawfully appointed.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<style>.explore-more-section { background: var(--wex-bg); border-top: 1px solid #ffffff; border-bottom: 1px solid #ffffff; margin: 24px 0; margin-top: -20px; }<\/style>\n<style id=\"mos-4cf6b66e-d6ea-4d43-a8b3-19c29d3b0485-style\">@scope (#mos-4cf6b66e-d6ea-4d43-a8b3-19c29d3b0485) { .we-meter {   --we-red: #DB3745;   --we-charcoal: #323E48;   --we-blue: #15BEF0;   --we-slate: #85A0AB;   --we-gold: #ECC270;   --we-text: #323E48;   --we-border: #85A0AB;    max-width: 800px;   margin: 0 auto;   padding: 1.5rem;   border: 1px solid rgba(33, 39, 42, 0.4);   border-radius: 12px;   background: #fff;   color: var(--we-text);   font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif !important; }  .we-grid {   display: grid;   grid-template-columns: 1fr 200px;   gap: 1.5rem;   align-items: center; }  .we-title {   margin: 0 0 0.5rem;   font-family: Constantia, \"Lucida Bright\", \"DejaVu Serif\", Georgia, \"serif\" !important;   font-size: 1.75rem !important;   line-height: 1.1 !important;   letter-spacing: -0.02em !important; }  .we-title span {   display: block;   color: var(--we-red); }  .we-copy {   margin: 0;   font-size: 1rem !important;   line-height: 1.4 !important; }  .we-actions {   text-align: center; }  .we-cta {   display: flex;   align-items: center;   justify-content: center;   gap: 8px;   width: 100%;   padding: 12px 16px;   border-radius: 8px;   background: var(--we-red);   color: #fff !important;   text-decoration: none;   font-size: 0.9rem !important;   font-weight: 700 !important; }  .we-arrow {   font-size: 1.2em !important; }  .we-member {   margin: 12px 0 0;   font-size: 0.85rem !important;   line-height: 1.4 !important; }  .we-member a {   color: var(--we-red);   text-decoration: none; }  @media (max-width: 600px) {   .we-grid {     grid-template-columns: 1fr;     gap: 1rem;   }   .we-meter {     padding: 1.25rem;   }   .we-cta {     padding: 14px;   } } }<\/style>\n<p><script>if (typeof CSSScopeRule == 'undefined') { const style = document.getElementById('mos-4cf6b66e-d6ea-4d43-a8b3-19c29d3b0485-style'); if (style) { style.textContent = style.textContent.replace(\/^@scope (#mos-4cf6b66e-d6ea-4d43-a8b3-19c29d3b0485) { \/, '').replace(\/}$\/, '');}}<\/script><\/p>\n<div id=\"mos-4cf6b66e-d6ea-4d43-a8b3-19c29d3b0485\" style=\"display: contents;\">\n<section class=\"we-meter\" aria-label=\"Washington Examiner subscription meter\">\n<div class=\"we-grid\">\n<div>\n<h2 class=\"we-title\">Stay informed.<span>Stay ahead.<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"we-copy\">                  Join Washington Examiner for unlimited access to the news, analysis, and commentary that matter most.       <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"we-actions\">       <a class=\"we-cta\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/subscribe\/digital\/\">         <span>See Options<\/span>         <span class=\"we-arrow\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\u203a<\/span>       <\/a>       <\/p>\n<p class=\"we-member\">Already a member? 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<a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/print-subscription-check\">Click here to login\/register your account<\/a> <\/div>\n<section class=\"we-inline-barrier\" aria-label=\"Washington Examiner subscription offer\">\n<div class=\"we-inner\">\n<h2 class=\"we-title\">Trusted reporting.<span>Unlimited access.<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"we-deck\">              Subscribe for full access to Washington Examiner coverage, expert political analysis,       and subscriber-only journalism.     <\/p>\n<p>     <a class=\"we-cta\" href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/subscribe\/digital\">       <span>Get Unlimited Access<\/span>       <span class=\"we-arrow\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\u203a<\/span>     <\/a>     <\/p>\n<p class=\"we-member\">Already a member? <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/sign-in\">Log in<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"we-cancel\">Cancel anytime.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section><\/div>\n<p><script> (window._matherq = window._matherq || []).push([   'paywallEvent',   {     type: 'paywall',     category: 'block',     action: 'stop',     wall_type: 'paywall'   } ]); <\/script>     <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DOJ lawyer Henry Whitaker argued to the panel that Halligan was not improperly appointed because she was filling a vacancy and had not been voted down by the Senate, making her qualified to serve in the role. Whitaker further added that \u201cin no event would dismissal of the indictments be an appropriate remedy for what can be at best described as an error in the title that Miss Halligan used when she presented before the grand juries and signed the indictments.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Halligan was appointed as interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia in September 2025 by then-Attorney General Pam Bondi, after the previous U.S. attorney resigned, but a federal judge ruled the appointment came after the 120-day period in which the attorney general could select an interim prosecutor. Whitaker faced a grilling over his argument for reviving the indictments signed off by Halligan, with one of the judges expressing concern over how the DOJ\u2019s argument could effectively cut the Senate out of the appointment process.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the judges expressed concern about a scenario in which the DOJ could repeatedly appoint a replacement 119 days into a prosecutor\u2019s tenure, replacing an interim prosecutor selected by the DOJ with another DOJ pick despite the time limit imposed in federal law. The federal judge questioned whether that would be \u201cessentially cutting off both the district court and the Senate\u2019s advise and consent power,\u201d despite the outlined role those two bodies have in the process.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lawyers for both Comey and James urged the panel to uphold the lower court\u2019s dismissal of the indictments, arguing Halligan was unlawfully appointed and focusing solely on that argument during Tuesday\u2019s hearing.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The three-judge panel included U.S. Circuit Judges Albert Diaz, an appointee of former President Barack Obama; Julius Richardson, a Trump appointee; and Henry Floyd, an Obama appointee. Two of the three judges appeared deeply skeptical of the DOJ\u2019s arguments, but the panel did not indicate how it would ultimately rule or set a timetable for a ruling.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The appointment of U.S. attorneys without Senate approval is an issue that could make its way to the Supreme Court, either through an appeal of the Fourth Circuit\u2019s eventual ruling or via a different case petitioned to the high court last week out of Nevada regarding a separate disputed U.S. attorney.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4724268\/trump-faces-major-test-over-appointing-us-attorneys-without-senate-approval\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"4724268\">TRUMP FACES MAJOR TEST OVER APPOINTING US ATTORNEYS WITHOUT SENATE APPROVAL<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The DOJ filed a petition to the Supreme Court over a ruling in the Ninth Circuit that disqualified Sigal Chattah from leading federal prosecutions in Nevada. Chattah was appointed to serve as U.S. attorney for the interim 120-day period, but two days before the period was set to end, Bondi designated her the office\u2019s first assistant and asserted that the Federal Vacancies Reform Act automatically made Chattah the acting U.S. attorney. A federal judge ruled that Chattah could not serve as acting U.S. attorney despite the DOJ\u2019s assertion, and a federal appeals court affirmed that ruling.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Supreme Court could decide on whether to take up the Nevada U.S. attorney case for arguments in the coming months.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Appeals court questions lawfulness of U.S. attorney in Trump cases<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2638,"featured_media":2661806,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/AP26065597380230.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[73155,3634,33577],"class_list":["post-2661805","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-fourth-circuit","tag-trump","tag-us-attorney"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/AP26065597380230.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2661805","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2638"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2661805"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2661805\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2661809,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2661805\/revisions\/2661809"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2661806"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2661805"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2661805"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2661805"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}