A former White House aide turned federal prosecutor who pursued high-profile cases against Donald Trump’s political adversaries is now under scrutiny by the Florida Bar for potential professional misconduct.
Lindsey Halligan, who briefly held the position of acting U.S. attorney for Virginia’s Eastern District, is the subject of an active disciplinary investigation, according to confirmation from Florida Bar officials. The Campaign for Accountability, a watchdog organization that requested the inquiry, made public a letter verifying the ongoing probe.
Bar representatives confirmed an open file exists regarding Halligan but refused additional comment, citing the confidential nature of disciplinary proceedings. Halligan has not responded to requests for comment about the investigation.
The disciplinary action stems from Halligan’s controversial tenure leading one of the Justice Department’s most respected prosecution offices. Despite lacking federal prosecution experience, she was placed in the role last September after the Trump administration pressured out her predecessor, Erik Siebert, seeking charges against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
While Halligan successfully obtained indictments in both cases, her prosecutorial approach immediately drew criticism. Defense attorneys representing Comey highlighted numerous procedural problems in the grand jury proceedings, pointing to legal and factual mistakes that compromised the process.
A federal judge harshly criticized Halligan in November for making “fundamental misstatements of the law,” particularly her alleged indication to grand jurors that Comey lacked Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination.
Both prosecutions ultimately collapsed when another judge determined Halligan’s Justice Department appointment violated legal requirements. She departed the position in January following these rulings.
The bar complaint revisits these events and alleges Halligan may have breached professional conduct standards by continuing to identify herself as the district’s acting U.S. attorney in court documents even after judicial determination that her service was illegal.
According to the complaint, “In this way, Ms. Halligan appears to have issued false or misleading communications regarding herself and her services.”
