President Donald Trump announced Sunday that he will nominate Lindsey Halligan, one of his past defense lawyers, to head the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Halligan, who is currently working in the White House staff secretary’s office, briefly represented Trump during the Justice Department’s classified documents investigation. The move comes amid heightened tensions between Trump and top Justice Department officials. Just hours before announcing Halligan’s nomination, Trump appeared to criticize U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi over the pace of investigations into his political rivals, though he later said Bondi was doing a “great job.”

Trump unveiled the decision on his social media platform, writing: “Pam Bondi is doing a GREAT job as Attorney General of the United States. She is very careful, very smart, loves our Country, but needs a tough prosecutor in the Eastern District of Virginia, like my recommendation, Lindsey Halligan, to get things moving. What we don’t need is a Democrat Endorsed “Republican.” I will be nominating Lindsey Halligan to be the United States Attorney in this very important part of our Great Country. She will be Fair, Smart, and will provide, desperately needed, JUSTICE FOR ALL”

Trump praised Halligan, recalling her defense of him during the FBI’s search of his Mar-a-Lago estate in 2022. “She witnessed firsthand the weaponization of our justice system by Crooked Joe Biden and the radical left Democrats,” he wrote in another post.

The announcement followed the abrupt resignation of Erik Siebert, the previous U.S. attorney, who stepped down after clashing with Trump administration officials. According to sources, Siebert resisted pressure to pursue criminal charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James despite investigators finding no clear evidence of mortgage fraud.

Halligan, who has never worked as a prosecutor, is licensed to practice law in Florida and previously specialized in insurance claims before joining Trump’s legal team. From her role in the White House, she has also been involved in efforts to challenge what the administration calls “radical ideology” within Smithsonian Institution museums.

Mr. Trump’s selection of Halligan came just hours after Justice Department official Mary “Maggie” Cleary said in an internal email to staff that that she had been named acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, until Halligan’s nomination is formally considered. Cleary told employees in the email: “While this appointment was unexpected, I am humbled to be joining your ranks. The Eastern District of Virginia has a distinguished legacy upon which we will build.”

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