James Comey, Letitia James SWEAT IT OUT After DOJ Makes New Move
Afederal appeals court appeared skeptical Tuesday of the Justice Department’s effort to revive criminal prosecutions against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
The cases were dismissed last year after a federal judge concluded that Lindsey Halligan, the prosecutor who secured both indictments, had not been lawfully appointed as interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Arguments before the Richmond-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals focused largely on whether then-Attorney General Pam Bondi had the legal authority to appoint Halligan after another interim U.S. attorney had already served in the position. Two members of the three-judge panel raised concerns about the Justice Department’s interpretation of the federal law governing temporary U.S. attorney appointments.
Chief Judge Albert Diaz questioned whether the government’s position could effectively allow the Justice Department to make an unlimited series of interim appointments without obtaining Senate confirmation.
Justice Department attorney Henry Whitaker acknowledged that the government’s interpretation could permit successive temporary appointments but argued that relying indefinitely on interim prosecutors would make little practical sense.
Circuit Judge Henry Floyd also pressed the government about Halligan’s authority at the time she presented the cases to grand juries. The dispute stems from Halligan’s appointment in September 2025 after interim U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert left the position. Siebert had already served a 120-day interim term.
U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie later ruled that Bondi lacked authority under the relevant statute to make another interim appointment. Because Halligan personally obtained the indictments against both Comey and James, Currie dismissed the cases.
The Justice Department is asking the appeals court to reverse that decision, arguing that the lower court interpreted federal appointment law too narrowly and improperly restricted the attorney general’s authority to fill vacancies in U.S. attorney offices.
Comey’s attorney, Ephraim McDowell, countered that the government’s interpretation could allow presidents to repeatedly install preferred prosecutors without seeking Senate confirmation. Comey had been charged with making false statements to Congress over allegations that he authorized disclosures to the news media. He denied wrongdoing.
James was charged with bank fraud stemming from allegations that she misrepresented how she intended to use a Virginia property. She also denied the allegations. Both Comey and James have argued that the prosecutions were improperly motivated by political retaliation. The Justice Department has defended the cases as legitimate criminal prosecutions.
President Donald Trump has a long history with both defendants. Trump fired Comey as FBI director in 2017 while the FBI was investigating possible connections between Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russia. James later brought a civil fraud lawsuit against Trump and his business in New York. The two prosecutions were brought after Trump publicly called on Bondi in September 2025 to take action against Comey, James and other political adversaries.
Comey is separately facing another federal prosecution involving a social media post showing seashells arranged in the numbers “86 47,” which authorities alleged constituted a threat against Trump. That case remains pending. The appeals court did not immediately rule Tuesday. Its eventual decision will determine whether the Justice Department can resume the dismissed Comey and James prosecutions or whether the lower court’s decision will remain in place.
Hakeem Jeffries Panics - He Just Lost A WAVE of House Seats Intensifies
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries issued a sharp public rebuke against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis following the governor's announcement of a special legislative session to redraw Florida’s congressional district boundaries, a strategic move expected to yield four additional seats for Republicans in the United States House of Representatives.
Governor DeSantis defended the mid-decade redistricting initiative by asserting that Florida was shortchanged in the 2020 Census relative to its explosive population growth over recent years. DeSantis emphasized that registered Republicans now hold a 1.5 million voter advantage across the Sunshine State, arguing that the existing district boundaries rely on unconstitutional racial classifications rather than geographic and demographic reality.
"The new map will more fairly reflect Florida’s current population makeup and fulfill our commitment to mid-decade adjustments."
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis stated during his official announcement of the special session.
Representative Jeffries quickly pushed back against the plan, characterizing the proposed congressional map as a partisan overreach that could ultimately backfire on state Republicans during upcoming election cycles.
"It is a 'DeSantis Dummymander'. Florida Republicans pursuing this redistricting will end up in the exact same situation as Texas Republicans, whom I describe as being on the run. They are dummymandering their way into the minority before a single vote is cast."
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries declared in response to the governor's redistricting strategy.
In a swift counter-response, Governor DeSantis dismissed the minority leader's warnings, inviting the New York Democrat to travel to Florida to campaign personally against the proposed boundary adjustments.
"I invite Leader Jeffries to campaign in Florida. I would be happy to host him at the governor’s mansion and take him fishing. Having Jeffries campaign across the state will only benefit Republicans because Florida voters will soundly reject the ideology being presented."
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis stated during a subsequent media press conference.
The redistricting battle in Florida unfolds amidst a broader national struggle for control of the House of Representatives, where state-level map adjustments across the country could determine the congressional majority. The Supreme Court of the United States recently lifted a lower court injunction that had temporarily blocked a new congressional map in Texas, a decision that could potentially add five Republican seats to the lower chamber.
Conversely, California’s pending redistricting plans are projected to yield five additional seats for Democrats, while Virginia’s congressional map remains subject to ongoing legal challenges before the state Supreme Court over constitutional boundary concerns. As both major political parties adjust their national strategies, mid-decade redistricting initiatives in key states continue to reshape the legislative landscape ahead of the upcoming congressional elections.
49–50 VOTE — Lone Democrat Saves Trump From Senate Defeat
The Senate narrowly rejected another attempt Thursday to restrict President Donald Trump’s authority to continue U.S. military operations against Iran without explicit congressional authorization, as a small group of Republicans joined Democrats in challenging the administration’s handling of the conflict.
The Senate voted 49-50 against the war powers resolution, falling just short of adopting a measure that had previously cleared the House.
The resolution would have directed Trump to remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities involving Iran unless Congress specifically authorized continued military action through a declaration of war or an authorization for use of military force.
Four Republicans — Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Thom Tillis of North Carolina — joined Democrats in supporting the measure.
Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was the only Democrat to oppose it, while Democratic Sen. Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland did not vote.
The 1973 War Powers Resolution was enacted after the Vietnam War in an effort to constrain presidents from maintaining prolonged military engagements without congressional authorization.
But multiple adminstrations since have claimed the act is an unconstitutional restraint on the president’s role as commander-in-chief.
Most Senate Republicans remained opposed to the measure, arguing that restricting the president while U.S. forces remain engaged against Iran could undermine American military operations and negotiating leverage.
The vote comes as the Iran war approaches its seventh month and as concerns about the conflict have increasingly spilled into the November midterm campaigns.
Rising gasoline and diesel prices have intensified the political debate, particularly in competitive congressional races.
Some Republican candidates who previously supported Trump’s handling of Iran have recently called for the conflict to end quickly.
Republican Senate candidates Mike Rogers in Michigan and Ashley Hinson in Iowa both called this week for a swift conclusion to the war, citing its effect on American energy prices and household costs. Hinson had previously voted multiple times against House efforts to restrict Trump’s war powers.
Thursday’s vote was the latest in a long series of congressional attempts to impose limits on the administration’s military campaign.
The Senate has considered 14 Iran-related war powers resolutions since the United States and Israel began military operations against Iran in February, according to reports.
Congressional critics of the war argue that the Constitution gives Congress, rather than the president, the authority to declare war and that months of sustained hostilities require explicit legislative approval.
The Pentagon has estimated the war has cost approximately $42 billion, according to Stars and Stripes. At least 19 American service members have been killed and more than 750 injured during the conflict, Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., said during Thursday’s debate.
Republicans supporting Trump have argued that the president possesses sufficient authority as commander in chief to conduct the military campaign and that congressional restrictions could interfere with efforts to force Iran into negotiations.
Trump has continued to publicly defend the war.
During his address to the United Nations General Assembly this week, the president argued that military action had prevented Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and called on other countries to increase economic pressure on Iran.
Trump also said he believes an agreement with Tehran remains possible, while warning that the United States could dramatically escalate military action if diplomacy fails.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Wednesday that Tehran remained open to a diplomatic resolution but would not negotiate under military threats.
Thursday’s Senate vote followed another significant congressional challenge to Trump’s Iran policy.
The House passed a similar war powers measure last week by a 220-204 vote, with seven Republicans joining Democrats. That vote represented the third time the House had voted to end U.S. participation in the Iran conflict.
