Prosecutors fired, resignations mount in Comey case upheaval
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Trump’s reshaping of the Virginia US attorney’s office sparks concern among career lawyers that political pressure could undermine national security cases.
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The Albert V. Bryan United States Courthouse, Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, in Alexandria, Va. (AP)
The high-stakes prosecution of former FBI Director James B. Comey has triggered turmoil inside the US attorney’s office for the Eastern District of Virginia, where career lawyers say President Donald Trump is exerting unprecedented political pressure on staffing and charging decisions.
The Washington Post, citing three people familiar with the matter who requested anonymity, reported deep concern that national security cases could be jeopardized by the upheaval.
In recent days, the Justice Department dismissed two veteran prosecutors who had risen to leadership positions in the Virginia office. The firings came soon after Trump installed a new interim US attorney, Lindsey Halligan, who secured a grand jury indictment of Comey last week despite objections from career prosecutors who argued the evidence was too weak.
Among those forced out were Maya D. Song, a 12-year veteran and the office’s former second-highest-ranking official, and Michael P. Ben’Ary, who led the national security unit. Both had previously served as senior advisers to Lisa Monaco, the former deputy attorney general under the Biden administration.
Trump has repeatedly attacked Monaco, most recently demanding that Microsoft dismiss her from her current post as president of global affairs, calling her one of “the architects of the worst ever Deep State Conspiracies against our Country.”
Neither Song nor Ben’Ary responded to requests for comment. Halligan and the US attorney’s office declined to answer questions; a spokesperson said he was unable to comment because of the ongoing federal government shutdown.
Political pressure and public attacks
Ben’Ary’s removal followed a social media post by right-wing commentator Julie Kelly, who speculated: “One can only assume he was a big part of the internal resistance to the Comey indictment.” But two people with knowledge of the matter said Ben’Ary had no role in the Comey probe. Instead, he was leading the prosecution of Mohammad Sharifullah, accused of orchestrating the Abbey Gate attack that killed 13 US service members and dozens of civilians during the 2021 Afghanistan evacuation.
Another prosecutor on that case, Troy A. Edwards Jr., resigned last week after Comey’s indictment. Edwards, the deputy chief of the national security unit, is also Comey’s son-in-law.
The departures followed Trump’s decision to force out US Attorney Erik S. Siebert, a respected career prosecutor he had appointed in January. Siebert had determined there was insufficient evidence to pursue charges against two of Trump’s political adversaries: Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Trump loyalist takes charge
Trump’s replacement, Lindsey Halligan, is a former White House aide and member of Trump’s personal legal team with no prior experience as a prosecutor. Soon after taking over the Virginia office, Halligan obtained an indictment charging Comey with making false statements in congressional testimony.
Legal experts say they cannot recall another instance in which a sitting president appeared to overrule a Justice Department charging decision. The Eastern District of Virginia, based in Alexandria, employs about 300 lawyers and staff and has long been one of the country’s most prominent venues for sensitive national security cases, including terrorism, espionage, and leaks of classified information.
With senior officials pushed out and others resigning, however, it remains unclear who is now overseeing the national security unit. The former chief, Danya Atiyeh, resigned earlier this year and has since moved overseas.
