Inside the Prosecution Drive of the Trump Administration Comey, James

For Lindsey Halligan, the recently appointed U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Thursday was particularly difficult. The first few days of any new job are never easy.

In addition to making her first-ever appearance in a criminal case and navigating a new courthouse, she also had to indict one of President Trump's rivals.

The first two jobs were a little difficult for Ms. Halligan, who took over on Monday after her predecessor resigned rather than bring charges against James B. Comey due to what he considered to be insufficient evidence. She once went into the incorrect courtroom. After locating the correct one, she stood across from the judge and seemed perplexed by the documents she had just signed.

However, she managed to secure a criminal indictment against Mr. Comey, the former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which was the third objective she completed and the one that her boss valued the most.

The indictment was the last in a remarkable string of White House actions that, in the opinion of many veterans of the Justice Department, have removed any remaining legal and procedural safeguards that might have stopped Mr. Trump from ordering federal law enforcement to degrade, look into, and prosecute the people he despises.

Mid-July saw the start of Mr. Trump's retaliation campaign after one of his advisers fuelled his snarling frustration with the Justice Department's sluggish probes. It reached a fever pitch last week when U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert resigned because he thought there wasn't enough evidence against Mr. Comey, and last Saturday, Mr. Trump made a startling public demand that Attorney General Pam Bondi act swiftly to bring charges against his adversaries.

The actions sparked five hectic days that severely damaged the department's autonomy. It concluded with a tableau that captured the moment's comic humour and seriousness. In order to obtain the reward her supervisor had long desired—Mr. Comey's comeuppance—Ms. Halligan defied the advice of her new subordinates and stood before the grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia.

Interviews with over a dozen administration officials and current and former prosecutors, all of whom talked on condition of anonymity to discuss internal discussions, served as the basis for this story.

One of the most significant in the nation, the U.S. attorney's office is situated in Alexandria, just outside of Washington, and handles delicate issues involving terrorism and national security. Career prosecutors frantically sought news about their leadership and marching orders as the tumultuous Mr. Comey probe ripped through the close-knit team like a tornado. As rumours about Mr. Siebert's departure circulated, approximately a dozen of them marched up to his office on September 19 to demand answers regarding his whereabouts.

According to someone who saw the interaction, he told them that quitting "was the easiest thing" he had ever done in his lengthy time at the department.

On Thursday, the atmosphere was just as tense, with anxious employees congregating in their offices or at neighbourhood bars like the Westin hotel close to the courtroom, anticipating what would happen to Mr. Comey, Ms. Halligan, and, implicitly, themselves. Numerous people had already reached out to former coworkers at nearby law firms in order to browse resumes. Others, like those involved in the Comey investigation, wrote emails and memoranda to establish a record in case they needed to defend themselves or bring legal action to challenge personnel decisions.

Mr. Trump “stands by Attorney General Bondi and appreciates her efforts to make America safe again and hold criminals accountable,” according to a statement sent by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

In a video that was made public following his indictment, a defiant Mr. Comey declared his innocence and expressed his eagerness to be proven right at trial. He declared, "You shouldn't live on your knees, and neither will we."

It looks like there may soon be more indictments targeting Trump targets. That's what the president said on Friday. At the White House, he told reporters, "It's not a list, but I think there will be others."

He went on to say, "These were radical-left, corrupt Democrats." In essence, James Comey was a Democrat. Even worse than a Democrat was him. There will be others, but in my opinion, the Democrats are superior to Comey. See, that's what I think.