Attorney General Pam Bondi was caught off guard Thursday when President Donald Trump’s handpicked US attorney, Lindsey Halligan, secured New York Attorney General Letitia James’ indictment from a grand jury, two sources familiar with what happened told CNN.
Halligan, who has been running the Eastern District of Virginia for just over two weeks, did not coordinate with Bondi or other leaders at the Justice Department headquarters in Washington, DC, or inform them about timing before presenting the case to a grand jury.
A grand jury on Thursday indicted James in on two charges — bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution — as the Justice Department continues to pursue charges against Trump’s political opponents.
CNN previously reported that Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche viewed the case against James as weak, reflecting the advice from the former US Attorney Erik Siebert and career lawyers in the Eastern District of Virginia.
Halligan had told some people, including at least one Justice Department official, in recent days that she was planning to move forward with the charges against James. She presented the case alone in front of the grand jury on Thursday in Alexandria, Virginia.
Halligan had originally planned on bringing the case to a grand jury in Norfolk, Virginia, in part because there was a belief that the grand jury there would be more supportive. The case will be heard, however, in Norfolk.
CNN has reached out to the Justice Department and Eastern District of Virginia offices for comment.
This story is breaking and will be updated.
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