Questions Senators Should Ask Lindsey Halligan

The Eastern District of Virginia has a long, storied history investigating and prosecuting cases of national and international significance.

The first U.S. Attorney for what was then known as the District of Virginia was John Marshall, who was appointed by President George Washington and later became the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

Since those early days, the office has been helmed by leaders who have honored the finest traditions of the district and gone on to serve as Attorney General, Deputy Attorney General, federal judges, members of Congress, state judges and other prominent roles in the public and private sector. It’s no secret why: The Eastern District of Virginia carries some of the nation’s most sensitive and high-profile investigations and prosecutions, including many related to national security.

One of the highlights of my career was to serve as the office’s spokesperson from 2009 to 2013, and I worked closely with many of those who later served as the district’s top federal prosecutor, including Zach Terwilliger and Jess Aber.

The nomination of Lindsey Halligan to lead this office seeks to undercut that long tradition by asking the U.S. Senate to confirm one of the least qualified attorneys to serve as a prosecutor in that office, much less be its leader. Aside from her lack of any prosecutorial experience when she was nominated, her short tenure so far has sent the office into chaos: She initiated what appear to be vindictive and baseless prosecutions, against career prosecutors’ recommendations; barrelled ahead even after a federal judge dismissed the cases and two grand juries subsequently refused to re-indict the case against Letitia James; and fired top prosecutors who got in her way.

Last week, Halligan submitted her confirmation questionnaire to the Senate Judiciary Committee in a sign that the White House is moving forward with her nomination. Members of the committee this week will provide questions that she must answer for the record, which will inform their positions as they perform their vital “advice and consent” responsibility in vetting high-level presidential nominations.

Justice Connection today submitted draft Questions for the Record for consideration by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Read our Questions for the Record here

We encourage senators to exercise the full extent of their legislative powers to uphold the reputation of a district that plays such an important role in protecting our nation’s security and upholding the rule of law.

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