President Donald Trump announced the nomination of Lindsey Halligan, a senior White House aide, to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “It is my honor to appoint Lindsey Halligan, who has been serving as Special Assistant to the President at the White House, as United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. Lindsey is a tough, smart, and loyal attorney, who has worked with me for a long time, including in the winning fight against the Weaponization of our Justice System by Crooked Joe Biden and the Radical Left Democrats, which she witnessed firsthand when she stood up for my rights during the Unconstitutional and UnAmerican raid on my home, Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach, Florida,” Trump stated.

“As a Partner at the biggest Law Firm in Florida, Lindsey proved herself to be a tremendous trial lawyer, and later represented me (and WON!) in the disgraceful Democrat Documents Hoax, as well as MANY other major, high profile cases. She is extremely intelligent, fearless and, working with Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, has the strength and determination to be absolutely OUTSTANDING in this new and very important role,” he continued.

The nomination comes after Erik Siebert, the previous U.S. Attorney, resigned following an investigation that failed to uncover evidence of mortgage fraud involving New York Attorney General Letitia James. Siebert, who had been the office’s top prosecutor, stepped down amid pressure from Trump administration officials to pursue charges in the case, which centered on alleged paperwork discrepancies related to James’ properties. James’ legal team has denied the allegations, calling the investigation a politically motivated attack.

Trump disputed Siebert’s resignation, claiming he had fired him instead of allowing him to leave voluntarily. “He didn’t quit, I fired him!” Trump wrote on social media. He also noted support from Democratic senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, adding, “Next time let him go in as a Democrat, not a Republican.”

Prior to Halligan’s appointment, Mary “Maggie” Cleary, a U.S. Justice Department lawyer, was unexpectedly considered for the role, according to an email obtained by Reuters. Trump administration officials had expressed frustration that Siebert’s office had not yet filed criminal charges against James, despite ongoing investigations into her and former FBI Director James Comey, both of whom are seen as adversaries by the president. Siebert had previously argued that the evidence was insufficient to justify prosecution.

The outcome of Halligan’s nomination remains uncertain, with no immediate clarification on whether she would serve in an interim capacity before Senate confirmation.