By Jason LemonShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberProminent Make America Great Again (MAGA) influencers reacted with frustration and anger after a federal judge dismissed the Justice Department's cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James on Monday.
U.S. District Judge Cameron Currie, who was appointed by former President Bill Clinton, dismissed the cases on the grounds that Lindsey Halligan, the interim U.S. attorney who secured their indictments, was unlawfully appointed. "I conclude that all actions flowing from Ms. Halligan's defective appointment, including securing and signing Mr. Comey's indictment, constitute unlawful exercises of executive power and must be set aside," Currie wrote in the opinion.
"Impeach, appeal and get the case under way again. This is UNBELIEVABLE," Eric Daugherty, the chief content officer of Florida's Voice who has over 700,000 followers on X, posted.
Newsweek reached out to the Justice Department, James and Comey for comment on Monday.
Why It Matters
The judge's decision deals a major blow to the Justice Department's efforts to go after two of the most prominent critics of President Donald Trump, while handing big legal wins to Comey and James. Trump repeatedly vowed "retribution" against some of his prominent opponents during his 2024 campaign, with the former FBI director and the attorney general among the most high profile critics to face indictments from his Justice Department thus far.
...What to Know
Many of Trump's ardent supporters were furious after the news of the judge's decision broke.
"Rogue Judge dismisses indictment against James Comey, ruling that U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan’s appointment under the Trump administration was invalid. Pathetic," conservative political commentator Benny Johnson posted to X, where he has some 4 million followers.
Nick Sortor, a conservative influencer with more than 1.2 million followers, described the decision as "TOTAL BS!" He added, "BRING THE INDICTMENT AGAIN! Comey MUST be held responsible."
Right-wing commentator Rogan O'Handley, who has 2.3 million followers on his "DC_Draino" X account, shared Sortor's post and wrote: "The Swamp is protecting the Swamp."
In a second post, Daugherty reiterated his call to "IMPEACH" the judge. "In a disgusting miscarriage of justice, leftist judge throws out indictments for JAMES COMEY and LETITIA JAMES," he wrote on X.
Johnson, in another post, wrote: "Appeal and keep it moving. No one is above the law."
James Comey, Letitia James Case Explained
Currie found that Halligan had been appointed as interim U.S. Attorney just two days before Comey's case with no prior prosecutorial experience. Her disqualification renders her actions, including the signing of the indictment, legally invalid. It's the latest legal rebuke of the Trump administration’s efforts to target the president's political opponents.
Lawyers for Comey and James had asked the Eastern District of Virginia judge to disqualify Halligan, arguing she was appointed after the previous U.S. attorney’s 120-day window had expired. Today's ruling also came after the Justice Department acknowledged that the grand jury that indicted Comey was never shown the final version of the charges. Instead, Halligan had brought an altered version to the magistrate's courtroom for the grand jury's foreperson to sign.
Comey's attorney, Michael Dreeben, argued this admission meant that there was no indictment against his client and that the statute of limitations meant the chance of securing a new one had collapsed.
In a separate decision, a federal magistrate cited a pattern of investigative missteps—including potential Fourth Amendment violations, in the grand jury process and said the FBI and prosecutors may have acted recklessly or willfully in ways that undermined the integrity of the proceedings.
Comey had pleaded not guilty to charges accusing him of making a false statement and obstructing Congress and has denied any wrongdoing. James, a Democrat, has pleaded not guilty to mortgage fraud allegations. Their lawyers have argued that the prosecutions are improperly vindictive and motivated by the president’s personal animus.
The Justice Department has denied those accusations, and says that the allegations support the indictment.
...What People Are Saying
Letitia James on X after the judge's decision on Monday: "I am heartened by today’s victory and grateful for the prayers and support I have received from around the country. I remain fearless in the face of these baseless charges as I continue fighting for New Yorkers every single day."
Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, on X: "To no one’s surprise, federal judge just dismissed the extremely thin Trump DOJ cases against Jim Comey and Letitia James. The Trump Department of 'Justice' has two more black eyes."
What Happens Next
As the cases were dismissed without prejudice, meaning the Justice Department could still try refine the charges and move forward with the prosecution. However, specifically when it comes to Comey, they are up against the clock as the statute of limitations are set to expire.
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