If Lindsey Halligan’s latest legal brief proves anything, it shows that being appointed by Donald Trump will not spare a federal judge from “the Boasberg treatment.”
Chief U.S. District Judge Jeb Boasberg rose to the federal bench with a bipartisan pedigree before finding himself the target of the Trump Justice Department’s campaign of vilification.
Former President George W. Bush appointed Boasberg to the D.C. Superior Court bench before ex-President Barack Obama appointed him to the U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C., a career course reflecting respect for Boasberg across the aisle in a jurisdiction where presidents weigh in on local and federal candidates.
“I had the honor to attend both of his confirmation hearings,” former federal prosecutor Glenn Kirshner said in a Substack Live conversation. “But listen, it doesn’t matter who you are, who appointed you, or how highly regarded you are. If you stand up to and rule contrary to the Trump administration, there’s going to be hell to pay.”
Trump-appointed U.S. District Judge David Novak became the latest example when he opened an inquiry into whether Halligan has been violating Virginia’s Rules of Professional Conduct by holding herself out as a U.S. Attorney after being disqualified in that role.
During our conversation, Kirschner and I dive into what the Justice Department’s response reveals and assess the prospects of a federal judge appointing an independent monitor to oversee the release of the Epstein files after the government blew past the Dec. 19 deadline.
