Reporter Discusses Unsolicited Texts from Trump Prosecutor Regarding Letitia James Case

Unsolicited Communication with a Reporter

• 💡 Anna Bower, a Senior Editor at Lawfare, received unsolicited text messages from Trump-appointed US Attorney Lindsey Halligan.
• 🎯 The exchange began after Bower published a New York Times story concerning the case against New York Attorney General Letitia James.
• 📌 Halligan, who presented the case to the grand jury, initiated contact via the encrypted app Signal, claiming the reporting was inaccurate.

Off-the-Record Claims and Reporter's Response

• 💬 Halligan later stated that everything she sent was "off record," a claim Bower contested, stating such agreements must be made beforehand.
• ⚠️ Bower emphasized that no agreement for an off-the-record conversation was made, and Halligan never suggested it until after the exchange began.
• ⚖️ Bower highlighted that prosecutors are legally prohibited from disclosing information about ongoing prosecutions and grand jury testimony.

Verification and Public Interest

• 🔍 Bower took steps to verify Halligan's identity, including recalling a previous meeting and obtaining her phone number.
• 🤝 The Department of Justice later confirmed the text messages were indeed with Lindsey Halligan.
• 📰 Bower explained that the exchange was deemed newsworthy due to its unusual nature, as such direct communication between a prosecutor and a reporter about an ongoing case is rare and potentially problematic.

Department of Justice Response

• 📢 The Department of Justice issued a statement accusing Bower of seeking information without digging into facts and of attempting to "tattletale" on Halligan.
• 🗣️ They suggested Bower threatened to leak the conversation, which Bower denied, stating she reached out for comment as part of her journalistic duty.
• 🧐 Bower and legal professionals consulted found the exchange remarkable and unprecedented, justifying its publication.