Lindsey Halligan’s No. 2 at the ever-embattled district court for the Eastern District of Virginia was reportedly ousted after declining to lead the effort to re-indict James Comey and secretly meeting with federal judges to get her job.
Robert McBride, 64, is out as Halligan’s deputy after just a few months on the job, several sources told MS NOW. He was formerly a federal prosecutor in Kentucky and was brought into the office late last year.
McBride was asked in recent days to take charge of the case against the former FBI director, but he told top Justice Department officials it would be difficult to do that while also running the office, according to the outlet.
Halligan, 36, also learned that her deputy had been quietly meeting with federal judges in the district behind her back. A source told MS NOW that the move was viewed as undermining the administration.
NBC reported that McBride’s meetings with federal judges were part of his efforts to get appointed as acting U.S. attorney. The Justice Department’s leadership supported his termination, sources told the outlet.
The Justice Department referred the Daily Beast to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, which declined to comment.
The controversy marks the latest blow to the beleaguered office led by a former beauty queen and ex-Trump attorney whose appointment was found to be illegal in November. Last week, a federal judge demanded that Halligan explain why she has remained in the role.
The Trump administration is still appealing the ruling that dismissed Halligan and her cases against two of the president’s top enemies, Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. The Times reported that Justice Department officials privately decided Halligan could remain in office because Judge Cameron McGowan Currie’s ruling did not expressly remove her.
The administration has not given up on its pursuit of Comey and James. Federal prosecutors have begun probing financial transactions involving the New York attorney general and her longtime hairdresser, who was charged with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.
The Justice Department has also launched a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, the latest development in the president’s long-running campaign against his foes. The move prompted a rare video message from Powell on Sunday night.
“I have deep respect for the rule of law and for accountability in our democracy. No one—certainly not the chair of the Federal Reserve—is above the law,” he said. “But this unprecedented action should be seen in the broader context of the administration’s threats and ongoing pressure.”
