Warner & Kaine Statement on Lindsey Halligan’s Departure from EDVA

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) released the following statement regarding Attorney General Pam Bondi's announcement that Lindsey Halligan-whom a federal judge ruled was unlawfully appointed to her position-was leaving the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA):

"Virginia Senators of both parties have always worked closely with presidential Administrations, regardless of party, on Virginia nominations. That fair and deliberate process has always included at least one meeting with the nominees to discuss their qualifications-until now. It has been over 16 weeks since the Trump Administration nominated Lindsey Halligan, but neither she nor the White House ever reached out to meet with us or even introduce herself. It's clear this Administration never expected her to be confirmed by the Senate given her lack of qualifications to serve as a U.S. Attorney, and instead wanted to end-run around the Senate and the Judiciary Committee."

On January 21, 2025, the Trump Administration appointed Erik Siebert as the interim U.S. Attorney for the EDVA. In April of 2025, after an extensive interview process that included the input of a bipartisan panel of former Virginia U.S. Attorneys and other well-respected members of the Virginia legal community, Kaine and Warner sent a letter to the White House recommending Siebert for the U.S. Attorney position. In May of 2025, the White House announced that Siebert was formally nominated for the role. Siebert was serving in an interim capacity because he had not yet been confirmed by the U.S. Senate. On May 9, 2025, the District Judges of the Eastern District of Virginia unanimously voted for Seibert to continue as the interim U.S. Attorney. On September 22, 2025, Kaine slammed the Trump Administration's forcing-out of Siebert because of his refusal to indict James Comey and Letitia James.

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