A federal judge has thrown out the criminal indictments against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, ruling that the prosecutor who brought the charges was illegally appointed.
The judge found that interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan did not have lawful authority, making both indictments invalid from the start.
Comey had been accused of lying to Congress.
Letitia James faced bank-fraud and false-statement charges.
Both cases had already raised major questions about political motivation and irregular grand-jury procedures. Today’s ruling confirms “serious procedural defects” and calls the prosecutions’ legitimacy into question.