Washington: President Donald Trump has announced his intention to nominate Lindsey Halligan, a former member of his defense team, as the next U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. The move comes just a day after Erik Siebert, the office’s previous head, resigned under political pressure.
Halligan, who represented Trump during the classified documents case and now serves in the White House staff secretary’s office, has no prior prosecutorial experience. Her legal career has largely been confined to Florida, where she handled insurance claims before joining Trump’s legal team.
According to AP News, Siebert stepped down after refusing pressure from Trump officials to bring charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James. Despite Trump’s insistence that James was “very guilty of something,” investigators were unable to produce evidence supporting such a case.
In a post on his social media platform, Trump described Halligan as “Fair, Smart, and Tough,” promising that she would deliver “Justice for All.” He also used the moment to criticize what he called “Democrat-Endorsed Republicans.”
Reuters reported that Halligan recently led an internal White House effort against what the administration described as “radical ideology” at the Smithsonian museums, further solidifying her status as a trusted loyalist within Trump’s circle.
For now, Justice Department official Maggie Cleary has been appointed Acting U.S. Attorney until Halligan’s nomination clears the confirmation process. The appointment highlights growing concerns among legal analysts about the independence of federal prosecutors under Trump’s second term.
