WASHINGTON: Lindsey Halligan, the Trump-appointed interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, has resigned following a series of scathing court rulings that challenged the legality of her appointment.
Read More: Top Democratic senator warns Trump on ‘path to dictatorship’
The resignation was announced by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi on X, formerly Twitter, who described Halligan’s departure as “a significant loss for the Department of Justice” and added that the 36-year-old attorney would continue serving the country in other capacities.
Halligan isn’t “leaving”—she’s being evicted by federal judges who called her tenure a “masquerade.” A loyalty-over-law charade finally unmasked.
Installed without Senate approval, this Trump defense lawyer with zero prosecutorial experience personally indicted…
— White House Xray (@xray_media) January 21, 2026
Halligan’s term as interim attorney had already been declared illegal in November 2025 by federal judge Cameron McGowan Currie, who dismissed indictments against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Despite the ruling, Halligan continued to use the title on legal filings, drawing sharp criticism from U.S. District Judge David Novak, a Trump appointee confirmed in 2019.
In an 18-page ruling, Judge Novak wrote that Halligan’s filings displayed “a level of vitriol more appropriate for a cable news talk show” and fell “far beneath the level of advocacy expected from litigants in this Court.” He warned that disciplinary action could be taken against Halligan and any attorney who signed documents using the “improper moniker.”
Halligan’s tenure had been marked by high-profile cases targeting political opponents of President Donald Trump and generated widespread controversy within legal circles. Her resignation effectively closes a turbulent chapter for the Eastern District of Virginia, amid concerns about the use of interim appointments to pursue politically sensitive cases.
Read More: PM appoints special assistant on accountability
Legal analysts noted that Halligan’s departure underscores the challenges faced by the Justice Department in ensuring that appointments adhere to statutory and constitutional requirements, particularly in politically charged prosecutions.