Lawyer Basic Pam Bondi has delivered the most recent — and most humiliating — twist in President Donald Trump’s campaign to prosecute his political rivals, doubtlessly sinking her personal profession within the course of.
A federal decide has thrown out all legal fees in opposition to former FBI Director James Comey and New York Lawyer Basic Letitia James, citing Bondi’s flagrant abuse of energy and misconduct in appointing an unqualified prosecutor.
The ruling reignited calls for for Bondi’s disbarment after Senior U.S. District Choose Cameron McGowan Currie dominated that Trump’s handpicked alternative — Lindsey Halligan, a former magnificence pageant contestant and his private lawyer who had by no means tried a case — was illegally put in as interim U.S. Lawyer for the Japanese District of Virginia.
As a result of Halligan was the only real signor of the indictments, the decide declared your entire prosecution void.
“All actions flowing from Ms. Halligan’s faulty appointment … represent illegal workout routines of government energy and have to be put aside,” Currie wrote in a scathing resolution.
Bondi tried to salvage the instances with what authorized observers and critics known as a “time-travel scheme,” backdating a special-attorney order to make it seem legally legitimate.
To cowl Halligan’s unauthorized standing, Bondi signed an order on October 31 — however backdated it to September 22, days earlier than Comey was indicted. Protection attorneys blasted the transfer as an effort to “bend house and time” to prosecute political enemies. Choose Currie rejected it outright: “The Authorities has recognized no authority permitting the Lawyer Basic to succeed in again in time and rewrite a previous appointment.”
The skilled backlash was immediate. Former Trump White Home lawyer Ty Cobb mentioned Bondi’s conduct merited disbarment, noting she twice submitted sworn affirmations defending Halligan’s function. “The proof exhibits she lied — or she’s equally incompetent,” Cobb mentioned. “Extra seemingly, she lied.”
On social media, the response was explosive.
“She’s going to jail. And can be disbarred. She’s Giuliani in ready,” predicted one person on Threads.
One other person, anticipating the results, declared: “You might be definitively going to be disbarred, Ms. Bondi. And chances are you’ll turn out to be the 2nd US Lawyer Basic to be convicted and incarcerated.”
Questions on accountability mounted on-line. “Who’s going to carry Bondi accountable for malicious prosecution and obstruction of justice?” and “Man…. at this level, she WANTS to go to jail.”
Many criticized Trump’s private alternative for Halligan, “He wants to start out hiring legal professionals with brains as a substitute of botox.”
Many turned their focus to Trump’s function. “He wants to start out hiring legal professionals with brains as a substitute of Botox,” one critic posted. One other added: “They embarrassed themselves with these instances. Let it go.”
“They embarrassed themselves with these instances, they should let it go at this level. They will’t show their case,” wrote one other.
Regardless of the ruling and the firestorm, the Justice Division, below Bondi’s path, confirmed defiance.
Even after the dismissal, the DOJ issued inner emails instructing workers to proceed signing legal indictments with Halligan’s title, labeling the decide’s resolution “untimely,” in what was extensively seen as a flagrant violation of a court docket order, based on The New Republic.
In a press briefing, Bondi doubled down, defending Halligan as an “wonderful U.S. lawyer,” and aggressively dismissed Comey’s accusation that Trump makes use of the DOJ to focus on political enemies. Bondi claimed Comey was “charged with a really critical crime” and that his alleged actions have been a “betrayal of public belief.”
Nonetheless, the dismissal leaves the Justice Division with restricted choices. Whereas the fees have been dismissed with out prejudice, permitting the DOJ to doubtlessly refile, the statute of limitations for the alleged crimes within the Comey case is extensively thought-about to have expired, making a second prosecution almost unimaginable.
Each focused officers issued sharp responses. Letitia James thanked the court docket for dismantling the “baseless fees.” Comey, in an Instagram video, condemned the DOJ’s “malevolence and incompetence,” warning: “A message must be despatched that the president of the US can’t use the Division of Justice to focus on his political enemies.”
“I’m heartened by at present’s victory,” James added. “I stay fearless within the face of those baseless fees as I proceed combating for New Yorkers each single day.”
