Quick Summary: Lindsey Halligan, President Trump's nominee for U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia, faces a likely Senate block after a federal court ruled her interim appointment unlawful and dismissed her cases. Virginia Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner are expected to withhold "blue slips," effectively stalling the nomination. Trump called for ending the blue slip practice on Truth Social, while Senate Majority Leader John Thune defended the long-standing procedure. The DOJ has reassigned prosecutors in the dismissed cases, but grand juries have not yet approved charges against Letitia James.
Trump Nominee Lindsey Halligan Faces Major Setback as Virginia Democrats Signal Block
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Senate Democrats appear poised to deal a fresh blow to Lindsey Halligan, President Donald Trump's controversial nominee to lead the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
A federal judge already found Halligan's interim appointment unlawful and dismissed the cases she brought against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Halligan, a former beauty pageant contestant and insurance attorney who previously served as one of Trump's personal lawyers, has no prior prosecutorial experience.
President Trump is trying to advance Lindsey Halligan’s nomination in the Senate. / XNY/Star Max/GC Images/Getty Images
Her predecessor, veteran federal prosecutor Erik Siebert, was removed after declining to charge Letitia James with mortgage fraud, citing insufficient evidence. A court later determined Halligan's appointment was invalid because Siebert had already served the statutory 120-day interim period.
Blue Slip Standoff
The White House pushed to advance Halligan's nomination in the Senate, but Virginia's two Democratic senators—Sen. Tim Kaine and Sen. Mark Warner—are expected to withhold the so-called "blue slips" that traditionally signal home-state support. Senate Judiciary Committee top Democrat Dick Durbin told reporters Halligan "does not have a blue slip" from either senator.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has refused to scrap the blue slip process. / Samuel Corum/Getty Images
Refusal to return a positive blue slip typically prevents the Judiciary Committee from scheduling a hearing or recommending a nominee to the full Senate, effectively stalling the nomination. Warner has said he would meet with Halligan but described it as "very hard" to back her, while Kaine has not signaled support.
Reaction From Trump And Senate Leaders
'I am hereby asking Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a fantastic guy, to get something done, ideally the termination of Blue Slips,' Trump wrote on Truth Social, arguing that too many Republican nominees are being blocked.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune rejected calls to eliminate the blue slip process, defending it as a long-standing procedure that gives home-state senators input on appointments affecting their districts. Thune told Fox News that the Senate has confirmed many of the administration's nominees at a "record rate."
Ongoing DOJ Efforts
The Department of Justice has assigned new prosecutors to pursue grand jury indictments in the matters Halligan had handled. So far, prosecutors have not persuaded two separate grand juries to return charges against Attorney General Letitia James.
The White House declined to comment further on the nomination fight. The standoff follows a similar setback for another former Trump personal lawyer, Alina Habba, whose interim appointment in New Jersey was also found unlawful by an appeals court.
