In a dramatic escalation of what many are calling a legal and political showdown, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi declared on Monday that the Department of Justice is “not done” with former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, despite a federal judge’s recent dismissal of charges against them. Bondi vowed an immediate appeal, signaling that the cases — and the stakes — are far from over.
“We’ll be taking all available legal action, including an immediate appeal, to hold Letitia James and James Comey accountable for their unlawful conduct,” Bondi said in a press conference, according to Fox News. “I’m not worried about someone who has been charged with a very serious crime. His alleged actions were a betrayal of public trust.”
The charges were dismissed without prejudice by U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie on procedural grounds, meaning the door remains open for future prosecution. The court found that Lindsey Halligan — the Trump-appointed interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia — was not lawfully serving in her role at the time the indictments were filed, rendering the indictments technically invalid. Halligan, a former member of Trump’s legal team, had been tapped to replace Erik Siebert, the previous U.S. Attorney who had investigated both Comey and James but never brought charges.
Bondi’s message was unambiguous: the DOJ intends to reassert Halligan’s authority by naming her as a special U.S. attorney, giving her the standing necessary to pursue the cases through appeal. “We believe we will be successful,” Bondi said. “And shame on them for not wanting her in office.”
The allegations against Comey date back to his 2020 testimony before Congress regarding the FBI’s handling of the Trump-Russia investigation. He faces charges of giving false statements and obstruction of a congressional proceeding — charges that critics argue are long overdue given the controversy and fallout from the FBI’s surveillance of the Trump campaign in 2016.
Letitia James, meanwhile, is accused of misrepresenting her residency status in order to obtain a favorable mortgage on a Virginia home in 2023 — a home that, prosecutors allege, was not actually her primary residence, as required. The home, according to DOJ filings, was occupied by a relative, while James continued to serve as New York’s attorney general — a role which, by law, demands residency in New York.
James’s case is politically loaded. She gained national attention — and notoriety among conservatives — for her aggressive legal crusade against Donald Trump. She explicitly campaigned on targeting the former president, vowing to “lead the resistance” and “take on Trump” before even assuming office. Many on the right viewed her prosecution of Trump as politically motivated — and now see the charges against her as a long-overdue reckoning.
With Bondi’s commitment to pursuing these cases through appeal, the legal and political fates of both Comey and James hang in the balance. And with the 2024 election cycle in full swing, the implications could ripple well beyond the courtroom.
