Overview
- Federal judges in the Eastern District of Virginia unanimously selected veteran litigator James Hundley, and Chief Judge M. Hannah Lauck administered his oath in Richmond, according to court documents.
- Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced on X that Hundley was fired shortly after the appointment, asserting that the president chooses U.S. attorneys.
- White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino amplified the move online by telling Hundley to check his email following Blanche’s post.
- The vacancy followed Lindsey Halligan’s exit after a judge ruled her interim appointment unlawful, leading to the dismissal of indictments against James Comey and Letitia James that the Justice Department is appealing.
- The firing mirrors a growing pattern in which DOJ removes court-appointed prosecutors, including Donald Kinsella in New York, as multiple courts in several states find Trump-era temporary appointments unlawful and related appeals continue.