DOJ fires US attorney in Virginia unanimously appointed by federal judges
A judge ruled the former interim U.S. attorney was unlawfully appointed.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche took to social media Friday to fire a U.S. attorney newly appointed to his post by judges, further engulfing the leadership of one of the most important prosecutor's offices in the country into uncertainty.
Hours after the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia unanimously appointed James Hundley, an attorney with 35 years of experience to the role -- which was vacated after the appointment of President Donald Trump's handpicked attorney was deemed unlawful -- Blanche announced his termination with a snarky statement.
"Here we go again. EDVA judges do not pick our US Attorney. POTUS does. James Hundley, you're fired!" Blanche wrote.
Hundley is a longtime litigator who previously worked as a prosecutor before opening his own criminal defense firm. He serves on the Virginia State Bar Council and has argued before the Supreme Court in a key case that upheld the requirement that Miranda warnings be read to criminal suspects, according to his online biography.
In a statement to ABC News Saturday, Hundley said he hopes "to support our country and its justice system in any way" he can, despite his immediate dismissal.
"It was a great honor to be appointed by the Court as Interim United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. I've been practicing law in Virginia for many years and have always held the Court and the United States Attorney's Office in the highest regard," he said.
"I would have welcomed the opportunity to support the attorneys and the staff of this outstanding Office as well as the law enforcement officers they work with. The difficult work they do on a daily basis to protect our community is critically important," Hundley added.
Hundley was appointed by the federal court in Virginia after Trump's pick, interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan, resigned last month.
In her four months in the post, Halligan secured indictments against two of Trump's highest-profile political opponents -- former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James -- but those indictments were later thrown out by a judge on the grounds that Halligan's appointment was invalid.
Last week, Blanche announced the firing of Donald Kinsella -- the court-appointed U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York -- in similar fashion.
"Judges don't pick U.S. Attorneys, @POTUS does. See Article II of our Constitution. You are fired, Donald Kinsella," Blanche wrote on social media.
In a statement issued the following day, the District Court for Northern New York issued a statement saying that Kinsella was "was removed as the judicially-appointed United States Attorney, without explanation."
"The Court thanks Donald T. Kinsella for his willingness to return to public service so that this vacancy could be filled with a qualified, experienced former prosecutor, and for his years of distinguished work on behalf of the citizens of the Northern District of New York," the statement said.
The firings come as the Trump administration has struggled to confirm nominees for U.S. attorney posts, and judges across the country have deemed the Trump administration's temporary appointees unlawful for serving beyond the legally permitted timeframe.
If no interim attorney is in the role and the president's nominee is not confirmed within 120 days, federal law permits the district court to appoint a U.S. attorney.