WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday he had appointed his former attorney Lindsey Halligan to be U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, hours after pressuring his attorney general to more aggressively pursue his political enemies.
“Pam Bondi is doing a GREAT job as Attorney General of the United States. She is very careful, very smart, loves our Country, but needs a tough prosecutor in the Eastern District of Virginia, like my recommendation, Lindsey Halligan, to get things moving,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post, announcing his decision.
In an earlier post that appeared to be addressed directly to Attorney General Pamela Bondi, Trump said he had reviewed statements and posts stating that nothing had been done on potential charges against former FBI Director James Comey, California Senator Adam Schiff and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
TRUMP DEMANDS JUSTICE
“We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility. They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW,” he wrote.
Halligan, who is currently serving as a special assistant to Trump, was among the lawyers who represented Trump in civil litigation after his Mar-a-Lago home was raided in a search for classified documents. She will replace Erik Siebert, who had been overseeing an investigation of James but resigned on Friday after Trump said he wanted him out.
Trump has stood by Bondi steadfastly for months, despite criticism from his political base about her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files and recent comments about prosecuting “hate speech” in the aftermath of activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
Trump’s criticism of her on Saturday could be a sign that his patience is waning, even as he maintained his overall public support.
Trump, who went through multiple cabinet secretaries and top advisers during his first term, had maintained a relatively stable record of keeping high level staff in place during the first eight months of his second term.
HALLIGAN APPOINTMENT
It was not immediately clear if Halligan would serve in the role on an interim basis before a confirmation vote by the U.S. Senate.
Prior to the announcement of Halligan’s appointment, Mary “Maggie” Cleary, a U.S. Justice Department lawyer who once said former President Joe Biden’s administration targeted her for being conservative, told colleagues she had been unexpectedly tapped for the post, according to an email seen by Reuters.
Trump administration officials previously told Siebert that the president was frustrated that his office had not yet brought criminal mortgage fraud charges against James, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
The office is also involved in a second probe targeting Comey, who like the New York attorney general is one of Trump’s political rivals. That probe is tied to the bureau’s prior investigation of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.
In the probes against both officials, Siebert had previously told officials that he did not believe the evidence was strong enough to bring charges, the sources told Reuters.
(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch, Jeff Mason, Katharine Jackson, Valerie Volcovici; Editing by David Gregorio, Edmund Klamann and Michael Perry)
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