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Federal Judge Posts Listing for U.S. Attorney Job Lindsey Halligan Claims to Still Hold

Another federal judge lashed out at Halligan’s refusal to give up her title, calling it a “charade.”

Lindsey Halligan

Jacquelyn Martin/AP

By Amelia Benavides-Colón

January 20, 2026 06:56 PM

A federal judge on Tuesday posted a job opening for the role of interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia — the job Lindsey Halligan, a close ally to President Donald Trump, still claims to hold despite a court ruling barring her from serving in the position.

Chief District Judge for the Eastern District of Virginia M. Hannah Lauck ruled on Tuesday that Halligan is not eligible to serve as interim U.S. attorney beyond the 120-day limit for temporary appointees, leaving the court free to appoint a temporary successor until the position can be filled by a Senate-confirmed nominee.

Halligan, a 36-year-old former Florida insurance litigator who has been working with President Donald Trump since 2021, was first appointed by Attorney General Pam Bondi in September. Shortly after, Halligan secured grand jury indictments against New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey.

But in November, two months into her new role, U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie ruled that Halligan “had no lawful authority” to occupy the position and dismissed her cases against James and Comey.

Despite the ruling, Halligan remained in the role and continued to claim the title in filings as recently as this month, prompting U.S. District Judge David Novak to order Tuesday that she stop doing so immediately.

“In short, this charade of Ms. Halligan masquerading as the United States attorney for this district in direct defiance of binding court orders must come to an end,” Novak wrote.

In the vacancy announcement, signed Tuesday by Lauck, the federal bench declared that Halligan’s probationary appointment under Virginia law had reached its 120-day expiration date. Due to her lack of a Senate confirmation, state law permits the appointment of an interim by a panel of federal judges.

“Until the position is filled by a Senate confirmed person, the Court is soliciting expressions of interest in serving in that position,” Lauck wrote.