You can’t overstate the importance of the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey. Despite the weak protests of the Vice President, the move smacks of bald faced political retribution on evidence so flimsy Erik Siebert, the career prosecutor — appointed by Donald Trump, no less — at the Eastern District of Virginia was forced out of his job for refusing to bring these personally motivated charges (and ones against another Trump enemy, New York Attorney General Letitia James). Siebert was replaced by Trump flunkie Lindsey Halligan, who I’d refer to as deeply unserious if she didn’t wield so much undeserved power. And, she’s already objectively embarrassing at her job.
Former White House attorney and current thorn in Donald Trump’s side Ty Cobb told MSNBC’s Alex Witt “we should be scared to death” over the indictment and the obvious threat it poses to democracy. There’s “justifiable paranoia” that others who have crossed the president will also be churned through the criminal justice system as the president keeps pushing these vendettas.
Given the sky high stakes of the case, many are wondering who is handling Comey’s criminal case? Repping Comey is Michigan solo practitioner Patrick Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald is a retired Skadden partner who previously represented Comey after he was fired by Trump as FBI Director. He has a long personal history with Comey and the two met when they were with the U.S. Attorney’s office in Manhattan. That’s right, unlike Halligan, the defense team actually has prosecutorial experience! In fact, Fitzgerald led a number of high profile prosecutions including those against former Illinois governors George Ryan and Rod Blagojevich, 1993 World Trade Center bombing mastermind Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, and Dick Cheney’s Chief of Staff Scooter Libby.
Comey also has local counsel in Jessica Carmichael, one of the founders of Virginia-based Carmichael Ellis & Brock with previous experience in the Federal Public Defender’s Office.
Comey has expressed confidence in the legal system posting on Instagram that he’s “not afraid, and I hope you’re not either.” Though he noted, “My heart is broken for the Department of Justice, but I have great confidence in the federal judicial system, and I’m innocent. So let’s have a trial and keep the faith.”
Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter @Kathryn1 or Mastodon @Kathryn1@mastodon.social.
The post James Comey Taps Small Law To Defend Him Against Witch Hunt appeared first on Above the Law.
You can’t overstate the importance of the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey. Despite the weak protests of the Vice President, the move smacks of bald faced political retribution on evidence so flimsy Erik Siebert, the career prosecutor — appointed by Donald Trump, no less — at the Eastern District of Virginia was forced out of his job for refusing to bring these personally motivated charges (and ones against another Trump enemy, New York Attorney General Letitia James). Siebert was replaced by Trump flunkie Lindsey Halligan, who I’d refer to as deeply unserious if she didn’t wield so much undeserved power. And, she’s already objectively embarrassing at her job.
Former White House attorney and current thorn in Donald Trump’s side Ty Cobb told MSNBC’s Alex Witt “we should be scared to death” over the indictment and the obvious threat it poses to democracy. There’s “justifiable paranoia” that others who have crossed the president will also be churned through the criminal justice system as the president keeps pushing these vendettas.
Given the sky high stakes of the case, many are wondering who is handling Comey’s criminal case? Repping Comey is Michigan solo practitioner Patrick Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald is a retired Skadden partner who previously represented Comey after he was fired by Trump as FBI Director. He has a long personal history with Comey and the two met when they were with the U.S. Attorney’s office in Manhattan. That’s right, unlike Halligan, the defense team actually has prosecutorial experience! In fact, Fitzgerald led a number of high profile prosecutions including those against former Illinois governors George Ryan and Rod Blagojevich, 1993 World Trade Center bombing mastermind Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, and Dick Cheney’s Chief of Staff Scooter Libby.
Comey also has local counsel in Jessica Carmichael, one of the founders of Virginia-based Carmichael Ellis & Brock with previous experience in the Federal Public Defender’s Office.
Comey has expressed confidence in the legal system posting on Instagram that he’s “not afraid, and I hope you’re not either.” Though he noted, “My heart is broken for the Department of Justice, but I have great confidence in the federal judicial system, and I’m innocent. So let’s have a trial and keep the faith.”
Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter @Kathryn1 or Mastodon @Kathryn1@mastodon.social.
The post James Comey Taps Small Law To Defend Him Against Witch Hunt appeared first on Above the Law.
