Senior US prosecutor removed as Lindsey Halligan tightens grip on EDVA

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: CNN
Today 08:55

Senior prosecutor Maggie Cleary is removed from the Justice Department’s Virginia office as Lindsey Halligan, a Trump ally, reshapes the powerful district.

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Current senior federal prosecutor Lindsey Halligan speaks as President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House, on January 31, 2025, in Washington (AP)

The United States Justice Department has removed Maggie Cleary, a senior federal prosecutor who briefly led the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA) before being replaced by Lindsey Halligan, from the office.

According to reports confirmed by CNN, Cleary’s removal marks the latest in a wave of firings and resignations within one of the most powerful US attorneys’ offices, as Halligan consolidates control over politically sensitive cases, including the recent indictments of former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, both known critics of Trump.

Deepening rift inside DOJ

Cleary, a seasoned prosecutor with years of trial experience under Republican administrations in Virginia, had briefly served as acting US attorney before Trump appointed Halligan in September. Halligan, who previously served as Trump’s personal attorney and has no criminal trial background, assumed the post following the forced resignation of former US Attorney Erik Siebert, who reportedly resisted bringing charges against Comey.

Cleary sided with career prosecutors who opposed the politically charged indictments, sources told CNN. During Comey’s arraignment, she was notably seated in the back row, away from the government’s table, as Halligan personally presented the indictment, an uncommon move for a US attorney.

Her removal underscores a widening divide between Halligan and career Justice Department officials, many of whom have expressed concern over what they describe as the politicization of federal prosecutions.

Internal resistance and political purges

Cleary’s departure follows the dismissal or resignation of several other prosecutors in recent weeks, including Michael Ben’Ary, Maya Song, and Troy Edwards Jr., Comey’s son-in-law and a career federal attorney.

Ben’Ary left a message taped to his office door upon resigning, condemning what he called a “Justice Department leadership more concerned with punishing the President’s perceived enemies than protecting our national security.”

Another source familiar with internal tensions told CNN that Halligan has been reassigning or removing prosecutors she believes may resist her directives on high-profile political cases.

Halligan’s controversial appointment

Halligan’s appointment to lead the EDVA, one of the most sensitive jurisdictions in the country, overseeing cases related to national security and classified intelligence, has drawn sharp criticism.

Previously an insurance attorney in Florida, Halligan joined Trump’s legal defense team in 2022 and later served on his White House staff before being installed as US attorney. Her lack of prosecutorial experience has raised questions about the administration’s efforts to use the Justice Department as a political tool.

Eroding the DOJ

Since assuming office, Halligan has taken an unusually direct role in active cases, personally appearing in court and authorizing indictments that many career prosecutors refused to sign. Legal analysts warn that these moves risk undermining judicial independence and may expose the Department to future ethics and procedural challenges.

The reshaping of the EDVA under Halligan’s leadership reflects a broader trend within the Trump administration, which has sought to align federal law enforcement agencies more closely with executive policy objectives. Critics, including several former DOJ officials, argue that these actions are eroding the department’s impartiality and transforming it into a vehicle for political retribution.

Halligan’s tenure, still considered interim under federal law, is expected to last 120 days unless extended or confirmed by the Senate. However, observers warn that the impact of her decisions may long outlast her appointment.