Trump lawyer asked to explain use of US attorney title after court ruled appointment unlawful

A judge ordered Lindsey Halligan to explain why she continues to identify as the US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia after another judge ruled her appointment unlawful; she has seven days to file a written explanation.

A Richmond federal judge has ordered Lindsey Halligan to explain why she continues to identify herself as the US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. The order gives her seven days to file a written pleading about her use of the title and why it should remain on an indictment in a separate case. The move follows a November ruling by Judge Cameron McGowan Currie that Halligan's appointment was unlawful and that actions flowing from it must be set aside, which led to dismissal of two prosecutions. The Justice Department has appealed Currie's ruling, and no stay has been issued in the district. Key facts: - Judge Cameron McGowan Currie ruled in November that Halligan's appointment was unlawful and ordered related actions set aside, leading to dismissal of prosecutions she led. - US District Judge David Novak ordered Halligan to explain within seven days why she identifies as the US attorney and why that identification should not be struck from an indictment. - The Justice Department has appealed Currie's rulings, and no court has issued a stay, so Currie's decision remains binding in the district at this time. - Halligan had been assigned prosecutions of James Comey and Letitia James that were dismissed following Currie's opinion. Summary: Judge Novak's order requires Halligan to file a pleading within seven days explaining her identification as US attorney and why it should not be removed from the indictment. Currie's earlier ruling that the appointment was unlawful remains in effect in the district because the appeal has not been stayed; the Justice Department's appeal is pending.