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The Florida Bar, a regulatory body for legal professionals in the state, has walked back a statement indicating there was an investigation into Lindsey Halligan, a former United States attorney under President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n
On Friday, Jennifer Krell Davis, a spokesperson for the bar association, issued a clarification to US media, denying any probe.<\/p>\n list of 3 items<\/span>end of list<\/span><\/section>\n Reports of an investigation emerged in February amid an exchange between the bar and the Campaign for Accountability, a government watchdog.<\/p>\n The group had accused Halligan of violating standards for professional conduct in law.<\/p>\n A letter from the Florida Bar acknowledged that the bar had been \u201cmonitoring\u201d concerns about Halligan\u2019s work in the Trump administration. \u201cWe already have an investigation pending,\u201d the February letter said.<\/p>\n But in Friday\u2019s statement, the bar called withdrew the letter and denied its accuracy. \u201cThe Florida Bar wrote a letter to the complainant erroneously stating that there is a pending Bar investigation,\u201d Davis said.<\/p>\n The Campaign for Accountability had filed a complaint against Halligan, whose short tenure as the top attorney for the eastern district of Virginia was riddled with controversy.<\/p>\n A former insurance lawyer with no previous prosecutorial experience, Halligan was appointed as interim US attorney in September. Very quickly, she came under scrutiny for her use of prosecutorial powers.<\/p>\n Trump had fired her predecessor, Erik Siebert, for refusing to comply with demands to indict his critics.<\/p>\n But on September 20, Trump posted<\/a> a message to social media suggesting that Halligan would be more compliant.<\/p>\n It also identified several critics Trump would like to see charged. They included New York Attorney General Letitia James, US Senator Adam Schiff and James Comey, the former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).<\/p>\n \u201cNothing is being done. What about Comey, Adam \u2018Shifty\u2019 Schiff, Leticia??? They\u2019re all guilty as hell, but nothing is going to be done,\u201d Trump wrote online.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can\u2019t delay any longer, it\u2019s killing our reputation and credibility.\u201d<\/p>\n Five days later, Halligan filed the first of three criminal indictments against Trump\u2019s critics.<\/p>\n Comey was charged on September 25 with making false statements to Congress and obstructing official proceedings. Then, on October 9, James faced charges of bank fraud and making false statements.<\/p>\n Finally, on October 16, Halligan filed the third indictment, against Trump\u2019s former national security adviser John Bolton, alleging the mishandling of classified information.<\/p>\n All three defendants had been publicly critical of Trump, and all three characterised their prosecutions as politically motivated. They each pleaded not guilty.<\/p>\n Critics blasted Halligan\u2019s prosecutions as a sign that Trump had eroded the independence of the Department of Justice and was wielding its powers for personal aims. Halligan had worked for Trump in a personal capacity prior to joining the government.<\/p>\n Halligan faced further scrutiny for her handling of criminal cases and the legality of her appointment.<\/p>\n In November, for instance, a magistrate judge ruled there was a \u201creasonable basis\u201d to believe there had been a \u201cwillful or in reckless disregard of the law\u201d in Comey\u2019s case, including through the mishandling of evidence.<\/p>\n Later that month, a separate judge dismissed both Comey\u2019s and James\u2019s cases, ruling that Halligan had been illegally appointed.<\/p>\n Normally, US attorneys must be confirmed by the Senate. An interim attorney, however, can only serve for a period of 120 days.<\/p>\n An extension had been granted for Halligan\u2019s predecessor, but not for Halligan herself, leading the judge to find her appointment unlawful.<\/p>\n Halligan, however, insisted she had the right to remain as US attorney. Facing pressure, she eventually stepped down on January 20.<\/p>\n The now-dismissed reports about an investigation into Halligan\u2019s conduct stemmed from a complaint filed about her work as US attorney.<\/p>\n In November, the Campaign for Accountability issued complaints against Halligan with both the Virginia Bar and the Florida Bar, given that she was also licensed to practise law in Florida.<\/p>\n In a statement<\/a>, the group blasted the \u201cdearth of evidence\u201d to justify her prosecutions of James and Comey. It also criticised Halligan for allegedly attempting to influence media coverage of her cases.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is difficult to overstate the damage wrought by Ms. Halligan\u2019s actions,\u201d Michelle Kuppersmith, the group\u2019s executive director, wrote.<\/p>\n \u201cIn addition to unjustly and vindictively inflicting direct personal harm on Mr. Comey and Ms. James, she is singlehandedly undermining \u2014 maybe irrevocably \u2014 the public\u2019s confidence in the impartiality of the Department of Justice.\u201d<\/p>\n After the Florida Bar denied the existence of an investigation into Halligan this week, the Campaign for Accountability issued another statement, questioning the reversal.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s hard to reconcile this latest statement with the bar counsel\u2019s previous letter saying there is an investigation pending,\u201d Kuppersmith said.<\/p>\n \u201cIf there is no longer an investigation into Halligan, the question is why not, given that three judges indicated she engaged in conduct that appears to violate ethics rules.\u201d<\/p>\n Republican lawmakers, however, cheered the bar association\u2019s reversal as a kind of vindication.<\/p>\n Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier had warned<\/a> that he would fight any \u201cbaseless, partisan attacks\u201d against Halligan. In response to the reversal, he posted<\/a> on social media a single word: \u201cGood!\u201d<\/p>\n US Attorney General Pam Bondi, meanwhile, took the opportunity to praise Halligan.<\/p>\nRecommended Stories <\/h2>\n
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