On Monday, a federal judge dismissed the criminal cases against New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey, ruling that the prosecutor who brought the charges was unlawfully appointed and lacked the power to indict the two. 

NBC shared that U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie found that Lindsey Halligan, tapped by the current administration to lead the U.S. attorney’s office in the Eastern District of Virginia, was appointed after the attorney general’s legal authority to name an interim prosecutor had expired.

Because Halligan alone presented James’s case to the grand jury and signed the indictment, the judge ruled that every action stemming from that “defective” appointment is void, and dismissed the charges without prejudice, meaning they could technically be refiled by a properly appointed prosecutor.​​

James, who had pleaded not guilty to mortgage and bank fraud allegations, called the ruling a victory and thanked supporters across the country, saying she remains undaunted and focused on advocating for New Yorkers. 

“I am heartened by today’s victory and grateful for the prayers and support I have received from around the country,” she shared in a public statement. “I remain fearless in the face of these baseless charges as I continue fighting for New Yorkers every single day.”

Her lawyer, Abbe Lowell, said the opinion confirms that the Justice Department installed a loyalist to push “unfounded” charges after career prosecutors warned there wasn’t enough evidence to convict her, according to NBC News. 

The cases against James and former FBI Director James Comey were widely seen as part of a retribution campaign against officials who challenged the sitting president, raising concerns about how far a president (of any party) can go to pressure the justice system. 

The dismissal is a reminder of how fragile legal norms can be.

For now, the decision puts a pause on a major case for James and Comey; the White House will reportedly appeal the dismissal.