Lindsey Halligan

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Lindsey Halligan
Lindsey Halligan in 2025.jpg
Halligan in 2025
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia
Interim
Assumed office
September 22, 2025

Lindsey Robyn Michelle Halligan (born July 21, 1989) is an American lawyer who serves as the interim United States attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia since September 2025. Halligan served as special assistant to the president and White House senior associate staff secretary from January to September 2025.

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Halligan began her career as an insurance lawyer and became a partner at Cole, Scott & Kissane in 2018. In 2022, then-former president Donald Trump named Halligan to his legal team. She was involved in litigation involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation's search of Mar-a-Lago. Halligan continued working with Trump on several other legal efforts.

In January 2025, Trump named Halligan as the White House senior associate staff secretary. She advocated for action against exhibits at Smithsonian Institution museums that she saw as disparaging the United States. In September, Trump forced the interim United States attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Erik Siebert, from his position over his handling of his office's investigations into Trump opponents. He named Halligan, who has had no prosecutorial experience, as the interim U.S. attorney and nominated her for the position.

Early life and education (1989–2013)

Lindsey Robyn Michelle Halligan was born on July 21, 1989, in Portland, Maine. [1] Halligan is the daughter of audiologists. Her sister, Gavin, is a family law attorney who unsuccessfully ran as a Republican in the 2016 election for the Colorado House of Representatives's fourth district. Halligan was raised in Broomfield, Colorado, and attended Holy Family High School, where she played softball and basketball. She graduated from Regis University with a bachelor's degree in politics and broadcast journalism and from the University of Miami School of Law with a Juris Doctor in 2013. At the University of Miami, Halligan interned for the Innocence Project and the Miami-Dade County public defender's office. [2] She worked as a Deco Model in 2012. [3] She competed in the Miss Colorado USA pageant in 2009 and 2010, reaching the semifinals and earning third runner-up, respectively. [2]

Career

Insurance law (2013–2022)

After graduating from law school, Halligan worked for Cole, Scott & Kissane, [2] an insurance law firm specializing in residential and commercial properties. [4] She became a partner in 2018. [2] At Cole, Scott & Kissane, Halligan represented insurance companies against lawsuits filed by homeowners and corporate plaintiffs. [5]

In November 2021, Halligan met former president Donald Trump at Trump International Golf Club, according to a statement she provided to The Washington Post . [2] Trump named her to his legal team several months later [2] amid the Federal Bureau of Investigation's investigation into his handling of government documents. [6] Halligan told Politico that she was present at Mar-a-Lago for the Federal Bureau of Investigation's search of the property. [7] She was involved in Trump v. United States , a lawsuit requesting a special master to review the material seized by the bureau in the search. [8] Halligan remained with Trump as two lawyers who worked with her resigned. [9]

Halligan's work for Trump included a defamation lawsuit against CNN that was dismissed, [10] an effort to defend his presidential eligibility amid legal contentions with the Fourteenth Amendment, [11] and an attempt to dissuade the Department of Justice from indicting Trump over his handling of classified documents. [12] Ahead of the 2024 presidential election, an Iranian hacking campaign targeted Trump advisors. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps allegedly obtained emails from Halligan, among others, and threatened to release them in July 2025. [13] Halligan reviewed draft executive orders, briefing materials, and press releases to identify "inconsistencies and potential legal risks". [14]

Roles in Trump administration (2025–present)

Halligan (far right) with Trump in April 2025. P20250418MR-1621.jpg
Halligan (far right) with Trump in April 2025.

After Trump's second inauguration, Halligan was appointed as the White House senior associate staff secretary, [11] and special assistant to the president. [5] [15] She advocated for Trump to take action against exhibits at Smithsonian Institution museums that she saw as disparaging the United States. [2] In March, Trump signed an executive order to review exhibits at the Smithsonian's museums, naming Halligan to lead the effort. [16] She sought the removal of Amy Sherald's painting "Trans Forming Liberty", depicting a transgender African American woman as an approximation of the Statue of Liberty. [17]

In September, Trump forced out the United States attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Erik Siebert, over his handling of his office's investigations into Letitia James, the attorney general of New York, and James Comey, the former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. [18] After Siebert's dismissal, Boris Epshteyn, a Trump aide, approached Halligan about taking the position. [19] On September 20, Trump announced that he would nominate Halligan—who has no prosecutorial experience—to succeed Siebert. [20] According to The New York Times , attorney general Pam Bondi and deputy attorney general Todd Blanche questioned her viability for the role given her lack of experience. [19] Two days later, Halligan was sworn in as the interim U.S. attorney. [21] Hours after being appointed, she sought access to her office's computers for communication purposes. [22] Halligan resigned as staff secretary after she was appointed. [23]

Halligan intended to ask a grand jury to indict Comey, despite an internal memorandum dissuading her from bringing charges against him. [15] On September 25, Comey was indicted. [24] Halligan was the only official from the Department of Justice to represent the government. According to the Times, Comey's indictment was narrowly secured by the grand jury. [19] In October, Halligan indicted Letitia James for alleged mortgage fraud. [25]

References

Works cited

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