Prosecutor Who Rejected Trump's Pressure to Charge James Is Fired
Source: nytimes.com
The dismissal was the latest fallout from attempts by career Justice Department officials to impede the presidents wide-ranging campaign of retribution. The prosecutors deputy was also fired.
By Alan FeuerTyler Pager and Devlin Barrett Oct. 17, 2025
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The dismissal of the prosecutor, Elizabeth Yusi, was the latest fallout from attempts by career Justice Department officials to pump the brakes on Mr. Trumps wide-ranging efforts to seek retribution against his perceived political opponents.
Ms. Yusi, who oversaw major criminal cases in the Norfolk office of the U.S. attorneys office for the Eastern District of Virginia, had pushed back against Mr. Trumps public calls for Ms. James to be indicted, telling colleagues that she had not found probable cause to file charges, the people familiar with the matter said. It was not immediately clear why her deputy, Kristin G. Bird, had also been fired.
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Despite the concerns career prosecutors raised about the case, Mr. Trumps inexperienced handpicked choice to lead the prosecutors office, Lindsey Halligan, secured an indictment against Ms. James last week, accusing her of mortgage fraud. The indictment said Ms. James had falsely claimed in loan documents that she would use a home she had purchased in Norfolk, Va., as a secondary residence, but instead had used it as a rental property, allowing her to receive favorable terms that saved her close to $19,000.
The firings of Ms. Yusi and Ms. Bird came less than a month after Ms. Halligans predecessor, Erik S. Siebert, resigned under pressure from Mr. Trump. Mr. Siebert, who had been chosen by the president to run the office, had taken a stand against his desire to seek charges against another of his adversaries: James B. Comey, the former F.B.I. director..................
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Lindsey Halligan holding binders, with a U.S. seal and golden curtains behind her.
President Trumps handpicked acting U.S. attorney, Lindsey Halligan, secured an indictment against the New York attorney general last week after other prosecutors resisted seeking charges. Credit...Evan Vucci/Associated Press