DOJ Fires Interim US Attorney Appointed by Virginia Judges

The U.S. Department of Justice fired James W. Hundley hours after federal judges in the Eastern District of Virginia appointed him as interim U.S. attorney on February 20, 2026, escalating a dispute over who holds authority to select top federal prosecutors in the district.

The unanimous appointment by the district court's judges came in Richmond, Virginia, where Chief Judge M. Hannah Lauck administered Hundley's oath of office. Hundley, a veteran litigator with more than 35 years of experience in Virginia courts, succeeded Lindsey Halligan, who had stepped down earlier in the year. Halligan's prior appointment as U.S. attorney was ruled unlawful by a federal judge, leading to the dismissal of several cases she oversaw, including indictments against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

In a court filing, Lauck highlighted Hundley's qualifications, noting his role as a co-founder of the Tysons Corner-based law firm Briglia Hundley, his arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court, and his service as an assistant prosecutor in Fairfax County for six years before shifting to criminal defense work. Hundley, who graduated from Georgetown University...