Lindsey Halligan, who left the U.S. attorney’s office in January, is under investigation by Florida’s bar association, according to a New York Times report Thursday.
Halligan was appointed by President Donald Trump to bring criminal cases against his enemies, which was objected to by longtime prosecutors. She served as interim U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia before a judge ruled she had not been lawfully appointed. She stepped down in January and her cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James were dismissed.
Florida’s bar association reportedly sent a letter last month indicating that Halligan was under investigation.
“The letter was addressed to the executive director of the nonprofit organization Campaign for Accountability, which had filed complaints in Florida and Virginia about Ms. Halligan’s actions,” The Times reported. “It noted that it had been closely monitoring reprimands Ms. Halligan had received from judges. ‘We already have an investigation pending,’ the bar association said in its letter to the group.”
The Times contacted Halligan, who requested to see a copy of the letter. The DOJ has not yet commented. The Trump administration posted a notice in the Federal Register hinting it was seeking to intervene in the state bar associations’ disciplinary proceedings, according to the report.
The investigation could ultimately lead to Halligan’s disbarment; however, that “process is rigorous and often takes years.”
“Though the bar can open investigations and act as a fact-finder, its recommendations go to an organization called a grievance committee, which has to determine whether there is probable cause to believe an attorney is guilty of misconduct,” The Times reported. “That recommendation then goes to the state’s courts, which have the power to disbar lawyers.”
The move could also signal a wake-up call for the Trump administration and “a check on administration lawyers who have been accused by judges of pushing the boundaries of the law or intentionally misleading the courts, which has happened frequently in recent months,” according to The Times. “It could also deter attorneys considering working for the Justice Department, which is eagerly looking to hire to replace the many employees who quit or were fired last year.”
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