Judge orders Lindsey Halligan to explain why she's still serving as U.S. attorney after previous ruling against her

A separate judge had ruled that Halligan, who brought cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, was unlawfully appointed.

A federal judge Tuesday ordered Trump ally Lindsey Halligan to explain why she continues to call herself the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia even though another judge determined in November that she had been unlawfully appointed to the position.

U.S. District Judge David Novak of Richmond issued a three-page order demanding to know why Halligan is still serving in the post. Halligan, who unsuccessfully prosecuted former FBI Direct James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, is also referred to as U.S. attorney by the Justice Department in official documents.

The judge's order is unusual because he issued it on his own, not at the request of defense attorneys. It came in a case involving a carjacking and attempted bank robbery suspect who was indicted last month.