A federal judge has dismissed the criminal cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, concluding that the prosecutor who brought the charges at President Donald Trump's urging was illegally appointed by the Justice Department. The rulings from U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie amount to a stunning rebuke of the Trump administration's efforts to target Trump's political opponents as well as its legal maneuvering to hastily install a loyalist prosecutor willing to file the cases. The orders make Lindsey Halligan the latest Trump administration prosecutor to be disqualified because of the manner in which they were appointed.
By ERIC TUCKER, ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and MICHAEL KUNZELMAN Associated Press
Former FBI Director James Comey has pleaded not guilty in a criminal case that has highlighted the Justice Department's efforts to target adversaries of President Donald Trump. Comey's lawyers said Wednesday they plan to argue the prosecution is politically motivated and should be dismissed. The Comey case amplifies concerns Trump's Justice Department is being weaponized in pursuit of the Republican president's political enemies. Comey was arraigned at the federal courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia. Comey's indictment two weeks ago followed an extraordinary chain of events that saw Trump publicly implore Attorney General Pam Bondi to take action against Comey and other perceived adversaries. Comey's trial is set for Jan. 5.
