Letitia James moves to dismiss indictment over Halligan appointment

New York Attorney General Letitia James on Thursday notified a federal court that she will move to dismiss her recent indictment, arguing that the U.S. attorney who secured the charges was unlawfully appointed. The filing came a day before James was arraigned on Friday in Norfolk, Virginia, where she pleaded not guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of making false statements to a financial institution related to the 2020 purchase of a Norfolk property.

Prosecutors say the indictment alleges James signed mortgage paperwork designating the house as her primary residence while obtaining more favorable loan terms, saving roughly 19,000. The charges were brought by Lindsey Halligan, who was appointed last month by President Donald Trump as interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia after the prior U.S. attorney was removed. James is represented in the federal case by Abbe David Lowell and Andrew Bosse, and her criminal matter is assigned to U.S. District Judge Jamar K. Walker.

In the court filing, James’s lawyers argued Halligan’s appointment was unlawful and asked a federal judge to dismiss the indictment on that basis. They also requested a court order...