Attorney General Pam Bondi has attempted to justify axing the U.S attorney position briefly held by former beauty pageant contestant and insurance lawyer Lindsey Halligan.
Two months ago, a judge ruled that the embattled Halligan, who had been appointed by Donald Trump, was illegally serving as U.S. attorney in Virginia. Despite lacking qualifications, Halligan, 36, was appointed to the role in September for a 120-day stint, which concluded Tuesday.
The conclusion was swift. Chief Judge M. Hannah Lauck, an Obama appointee, ordered an advertisement for the “vacant” position of U.S. attorney on Tuesday and noted the court was “soliciting expressions of interest.”
Shortly after Lauck’s announcement, Trump-appointed District Judge David Novak followed suit with his own court order. He directed Halligan to cease calling herself a U.S. attorney or face disciplinary action.
“No matter all of her machinations, Ms. Halligan has no legal basis to represent to this Court that she holds the position,” he wrote. “In short, this charade of Ms. Halligan masquerading as the United States Attorney for this District in direct defiance of binding court orders must come to an end.”
Bondi, who has faced a series of embarrassments in recent months, posted a lengthy social media message on Tuesday confirming that Halligan was leaving her role and taking aim at Democrats for not allowing her to work past her legal deadline.
Claiming that Halligan had “worked tirelessly” in her role, Bondi said, “Democratic Senators weaponized the blue slip process,” referring to a form where home-state senators can overrule presidential appointments by registering their approval or disapproval of a federal judicial nominee.
Bondi, 60, said that process had made it “impossible” for Halligan to continue as an attorney after the end of her 120-day appointment.
The attorney general also insisted there were “multiple, unnecessary legal obstacles” placed in Halligan’s path.
“The circumstances that led to this outcome are deeply misguided,” Bondi said. “We are living in a time when a democratically elected President’s ability to staff key law enforcement positions faces serious obstacles.”
She also threatened that the DOJ “will continue to seek review of decisions like this that hinder our ability to keep the American people safe.”
Bondi hinted at a possible MAGA future for Halligan, saying, “While we will feel her absence keenly, we are confident that she will continue to serve her country in other ways.”
The Daily Beast has contacted the Department of Justice for comment.
A former White House aide, Halligan had no prosecutorial experience before she was given the U.S. attorney job but had worked as Trump’s personal lawyer.
She attempted to carry out Trump’s wishes to levy criminal charges against two of his most high-profile enemies, former FBI director James B. Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
However in November, Clinton-appointed Judge Cameron Currie threw out Halligan’s indictments on the grounds that she was unlawfully serving as interim U.S. attorney.
Novak also called out Halligan’s lack of experience as a prosecutor in his court order.
“The Court recognizes that Ms. Halligan lacks the prosecutorial experience that has long been the norm for those nominated to the position of United States Attorney in this District,” Novak said.
“Consequently, and in light of her inexperience, the Court grants Ms. Halligan the benefit of the doubt and refrains from referring her for further investigation and disciplinary action regarding her misrepresentations to this Court at this time.”
