Fox News host Laura Ingraham publicly blamed Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Department of Justice for the dismissal of charges against two of President Donald Trump’s perceived political enemies, marking a rare moment of on-air criticism directed at the administration’s legal strategy.
The controversy centers on criminal indictments secured against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James by Lindsey Halligan, who took over as interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia in September. On Monday, Nov. 24, a federal judge threw out both cases without prejudice after ruling that Halligan’s appointment was unlawful, meaning the defendants can potentially be charged again.
Halligan, a former beauty pageant contestant and insurance lawyer with no prior prosecutorial experience, had secured the indictments within weeks of being sworn in. Her appointment came after veteran prosecutor Erik Siebert was forced out over his refusal to charge James. The case against James reportedly blindsided Bondi, as Halligan sought the indictment without first informing the attorney general.
During a Monday episode of her show, attorney David Schoen addressed the legal debacle, calling it avoidable. He stated that the Justice Department should have provided Halligan with additional support.
Ingraham later endorsed Schoen’s assessment on social media, sharing a clip of the interview and writing on X: “An avoidable BLUNDER — and DOJ knew it.” The post represented a notable departure from the typically supportive coverage Trump receives from Fox News hosts, particularly on matters involving his administration’s legal pursuits.
The cases against Comey and James stem from longstanding grievances held by Trump. James had led a civil fraud case against Trump in New York, while Comey oversaw investigations during his tenure as FBI director. The prosecutions appeared to align with Trump’s public demands for action against his critics.
In an attempt to salvage the prosecutions, Bondi earlier this month tried to retroactively appoint Halligan as a special attorney and ratify her actions before the grand juries in both cases. The move proved unsuccessful, coming after federal judges had already disqualified other Trump-appointed U.S. attorneys who, like Halligan, were not confirmed by the Senate.
During the interview, Schoen praised Halligan’s courage while acknowledging the difficulties she faced. His comments, however, glossed over the Justice Department’s reported challenges in finding other attorneys willing to sign on to indictments that defendants have argued are vindictive in nature.
The prosecutions have become emblematic of broader concerns about the politicization of federal law enforcement. Trump had inadvertently published a private message in September intended only for Bondi, calling for prosecutions of Comey, James and Democratic Senator Adam Schiff of California. The public nature of Trump’s directive to Bondi raised questions about whether the subsequent indictments were driven by legitimate prosecutorial concerns or political motivations.
Schiff, who served in the U.S. House of Representatives before running for Senate, was involved in Trump’s impeachment proceedings. The revelation of Trump’s direct communication with Bondi regarding specific targets added to concerns about improper political influence over prosecutorial decisions.
The dismissal without prejudice means prosecutors could theoretically bring new charges if they address the legal deficiencies identified by the judge. However, the ruling on the unlawfulness of Halligan’s appointment creates significant obstacles for any future prosecution efforts. Legal experts suggest that properly appointed prosecutors would need to present the cases to new grand juries to secure fresh indictments.
Ingraham’s willingness to criticize the Justice Department’s handling of these high-profile cases represents an unusual moment of tension between the Fox News host and the Trump administration. Her show regularly covers politics, business and legal matters, and she has maintained close ties to Trump and his family over the years. The public rebuke suggests growing frustration among some Trump allies over what they view as preventable legal missteps that have undermined the administration’s efforts to pursue its political adversaries through the criminal justice system.
