Justice Department swiftly fires lawyer chosen as top federal prosecutor for Virginia office
WASHINGTON– A lawyer chosen by judges to serve as the top federal prosecutor in a Virginia office that prosecuted cases against enemies of President Donald Trump was quickly fired Friday by the Justice Department in the latest clash over the appointment of powerful U.S. attorneys.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced James Hundley’s firing on social media shortly after he was unanimously chosen by the justices to replace former Trump lawyer Lindsey Halligan as acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. While the law provides that the district court can choose U.S. attorneys when an initial term expires, the Trump administration has insisted that this power rests solely with the executive branch.
“EDVA judges don’t choose our US Attorney. POTUS does. James Hundley, you’re fired!” Blanche said in a post on X.
Hundley, who has handled criminal and civil cases for more than 30 years, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Friday evening.
Hundley’s firing is the latest reflection of the tumult in one of the Justice Department’s most elite prosecutorial offices, which has been mired since September in upheaval following the resignation of a veteran prosecutor amid pressure from the Trump administration to prosecute two of the president’s biggest political foes, former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
That prosecutor, Erik Siebert, was effectively forced out and quickly replaced by Halligan, a White House aide who obtained indictments against Comey and James but was later deemed by a judge to have been illegally appointed. The cases were dismissed, but the Justice Department appealed the decision.
Halligan resigned from his position last month after district judges signaled continued skepticism about the legitimacy of his appointment.
U.S. attorneys, the top federal prosecutors in regional Justice Department offices across the country, typically require Senate confirmation, but the law allows attorneys general to make temporary appointments for limited periods. In several cases, however, the Justice Department attempted to keep its temporary appointees in place, sparking legal challenges and sparking resistance from judges who deemed the appointments illegal.
Last week, a lawyer appointed by judges to be the U.S. attorney for upstate New York was fired by the Justice Department after serving less than a day in the job. District judges appointed Kinsella after refusing to keep Trump administration pick John Sarcone in place after his 120-day term expired.
