The Florida Bar has opened an ethics investigation into attorney Lindsey Halligan over criminal cases brought against former FBI Director James B. Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Halligan was serving as interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia when she pursued the prosecutions, but a federal judge later ruled her appointment invalid and dismissed the cases, which judges had already sharply criticized.
A letter sent last month to Campaign for Accountability, the watchdog group that filed complaints in Florida and Virginia, said the Florida Bar already had an investigation pending, The New York Times reported.
Halligan briefly led the Virginia office after her appointment last September and quickly sought indictments against Comey and James, reversing her predecessor's conclusion that there was insufficient evidence to charge them.
U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie later dismissed both cases, ruling Halligan had been unlawfully appointed.
The dismissals were without prejudice, leaving open the possibility of new charges, though the Justice Department has said it is appealing.
The bar complaint also draws on criticism from U.S. Magistrate Judge William E. Fitzpatrick in the Comey case.
He found what were described as profound investigative missteps and cited fundamental misstatements of the law in Halligan's grand-jury presentation, raising questions about the integrity of the proceedings.
Campaign for Accountability has argued that Halligan's conduct amounted to false or misleading statements and disobedience of court rulings.
A Florida Bar investigation does not, in itself, mean discipline is imminent.
The process can take years, and any recommendation would move through grievance review before the courts could impose sanctions.
The Florida Bar's online directory currently lists Halligan as a member in good standing and eligible to practice, with no discipline listed in the past 10 years.
The Justice Department has proposed a rule allowing the attorney general to review state bar complaints against current and former department lawyers and ask state authorities to pause parallel investigations.
Instead, the department would conduct its own review.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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