MAGA Attorney Lindsey Halligan's Legal Blunders in Trump Cases

Halligan's Texting Controversy

• 📱 Lindsey Halligan, an interim U.S. Attorney appointed by Trump, is facing scrutiny for texting a reporter, Anna Bower, over 33 hours.
• 💬 Halligan insisted that Bower's reporting on the New York Attorney General's case was inaccurate, despite Bower not having reported the specific details Halligan contested.
• 🚫 Halligan attempted to retroactively declare her messages "off the record," a move reporter Anna Bower rejected, stating "that's not how this works."

Questions About Halligan's Appointment and Authority

• 🏛️ Halligan's appointment as interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia is being questioned, with arguments that it was improper.
• ⚖️ It is unclear if Halligan has the legal authority to hold her position or present indictments to a grand jury, with some suggesting she has no more authority than a private citizen.
• 🚫 There's an implication that no career prosecutor in the Eastern District of Virginia was willing to pursue the case against Tish James.

Case Against Tish James and Its Unusual Presentation

• 🏠 The indictment against New York Attorney General Letitia James alleges she misrepresented a property purchase as a second home when it was used as a rental, gaining a benefit of 0.8% on an interest rate.
• 🚨 This case was brought to the grand jury by Halligan, reportedly without consultation from the Attorney General, and is different from a previously anticipated criminal referral.
• 📈 The presentation of this case to the grand jury is described as unusual, similar to the case against James Comey.

Trump's Alleged Personal Vendetta Against Comey

• 📝 Comey's lawyers submitted a 60-page attachment to their legal filing, citing social media posts as evidence of Trump's personal vendetta against him.
• 🗣️ Trump has publicly made numerous negative statements about James Comey, calling him a "liar" and a "leaker."

Broader Concerns About Norm Erosion

• ⚠️ The behavior of Trump and his appointees is seen as a casual disregard for legal processes and democratic norms.
• 😨 This erosion of norms is creating a constant state of dread and fear, testing collective resilience.
• ✊ The author emphasizes that authoritarians only stop when forced, urging people not to look away or become too exhausted to push back.