Ty Cobb Urges Disbarment for Pam Bondi and Lindsey Halligan After Flawed Comey Indictment

Former White House counsel Ty Cobb told MS NOW host Chris Jansing on Wednesday that Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan should be disbarred following procedural failures in the Justice Department’s indictment of former FBI director James Comey.

Cobb called it "shocking" that the indictment "was never properly returned," saying that procedural lapse could be dispositive for the case. He argued that Bondi’s repeated court affirmations endorsing Halligan’s grand jury presentation indicate either deliberate falsehoods or extreme incompetence.

"She knew this. There’s no way she could not have known this," Cobb said. "That just means that she lied, or that she’s equally incompetent, but more likely that she lied."

On Wednesday the Department of Justice acknowledged the indictment against Comey was not presented to a full grand jury. The presiding judge declined to issue an immediate ruling but ordered prosecutors to address the omission in court filings by the end of business.

Judge's Criticism and Potential Consequences

Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick issued a 24-page opinion sharply criticizing Halligan for what he described as "fundamental misstatements on the law that could compromise the integrity of the grand jury process." Cobb cited that ruling and additional procedural challenges — including a separate dispute over an appointment before U.S. District Judge Cameron Currie — as reasons the prosecution may collapse.

Cobb also told CNN that Halligan told the grand jury Comey did not have a Fifth Amendment right at trial to refuse to testify, a characterization the magistrate said risked impermissible burden-shifting by suggesting Comey could simply explain events to counter the government's evidence.

Case Status

Comey, who pleaded not guilty last month, faces charges alleging a false statement and obstruction of a congressional proceeding. He has filed to dismiss the case, arguing it is a vindictive prosecution. If the procedural defects identified by the judge are not remedied, they could form the basis for dismissal and for professional discipline proceedings against the prosecutors involved.

Note: This article summarizes public statements and court filings related to the Comey indictment and does not represent a legal determination. Names quoted: Ty Cobb, Lindsey Halligan, Pam Bondi, Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick, and U.S. District Judge Cameron Currie.