Trump vows action as James Comey and Letitia James indictments dismissed 'on a technicality'

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump on Tuesday, November 25 called the dismissal of criminal indictments against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James a decision purely based on a "technicality."

The indictment, brought by attorney Lindsey Halligan, was thrown out by a federal judge after finding that Halligan was not lawfully appointed to the prosecutor role.

Trump stands by Lindsey Halligan and suggest James Comey and Letitia James are guilty

Asked by reporters if he still had faith in Lindsey Halligan, President Trump made it very clear by asserting, "She's great, I think she is great."

He continued to express disagreement over the court's decision in voiding the indictments.

Trump maintained that the defendants "got out on a technicality, and you'll see what happens from here on."

He further suggested guilt on the part of Comey and James when he said, "If you look at the actual charges, anybody that looks at it very fairly would say, boy are they guilty. So let's see what happens over the next week. The court didn't say you couldn't bring the case, rebring the case or appeal the case."

Judge rules Lindsey Halligan lacked authority to present James Comey and Letitia James cases

Trump's comments came after US District Judge Cameron Currie's decision on Monday to dismiss criminal indictments against Comey and James.

Judge Currie granted Comey's motion, which argued that the appointment of Lindsey Halligan as attorney for Trump had been illegal and thus the subsequent legal actions were void.

"Because Ms Halligan had no lawful authority to present the indictment, I will grant Mr Comey's motion and dismiss the indictment," Currie wrote in her ruling, finding that Halligan "lacked the authority to present a case to a grand jury."

The judge was very critical of this situation, citing that Halligan, "a former White House aide with no prior prosecutorial experience", was the only prosecutor in the case.

She wrote that "all actions flowing from Ms. Halligan’s defective appointment, including securing and signing Mr. Comey’s indictment, were unlawful exercises of executive power and are hereby set aside," and issued a similar, separate ruling for the James case.

The judge said in his ruling, "This case presents the unique, if not unprecedented, situation where an unconstitutionally appointed prosecutor, 'exercising power [she] did not lawfully possess,’… acted alone in conducting a grand jury proceeding and securing an indictment."

The indictments were vacated because Halligan, who was appointed to serve as interim US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia at President Trump's direction, was the only prosecutor to present the cases and sign the indictments.

Trump admin maintains Lindsey Halligan was legally appointed

In the wake of the court's ruling, Attorney General Pam Bondi promptly declared that the Justice Department would appeal the dismissal.

In a news conference, Bondi announced that the department will "be taking all available legal action, including an immediate appeal," while also defending the Trump attorney, calling Halligan "an excellent" attorney. 

Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has also publicly defended the prosecutor's legitimacy, telling reporters, “Lindsey Halligan was legally appointed, and that’s the administration’s position.”