“Make America Safe Again”: President Trump’s new banner on the Justice Department building
A banner of President Trump has been unfurled outside the Justice Department in the latest effort to stamp his identity on Washington institutions.
The Florida Bar Association says it is not investigating controversial former federal prosecutor Lindsay Harrigan, despite the association writing to the contrary in a letter last month, but said it is monitoring the case.
“An investigation is already pending,” the Florida bar wrote in a Feb. 4 letter about Harrigan to the nonprofit Campaign for Accountability (CfA), according to a copy of CfA’s letter released March 5.
But on March 6, a Florida court retracted the statement, saying it was written “in error.”
“In response to an inquiry from the plaintiff, the Florida Bar sent a letter to the plaintiff incorrectly stating that there was a pending forensic investigation against member Lindsey Harrigan. There is no such pending forensic investigation,” Florida Bar Communications Director Jennifer Krell Davis said in a statement to USA TODAY.
The Feb. 4 letter was sent in response to complaints filed by CfA with the Florida and Virginia bar associations.
“We are aware of these developments and are closely monitoring them,” the letter added. Ms Halligan’s letter appears to have been photocopied, suggesting it was also sent to her.
The complaint asked attorneys in Florida and Virginia to investigate whether Mr. Harrigan’s service as U.S. attorney violated the association’s code of conduct.
“In this case, the Florida Bar has received the complaint against Lindsay Harrigan, and, as is standard practice, the Bar is monitoring the ongoing legal proceedings underlying the complaint,” Davis said.
“While CfA has not heard directly from the Florida Bar, it is difficult to reconcile this latest statement with the attorney’s previous letter that an investigation is pending,” CfA Executive Director Michelle Kuppersmith said in a statement. “If there is no longer an investigation into Harrigan, the question is why not, given that three judges have found that she has engaged in conduct that appears to violate the Code of Ethics.”
Harrigan, a former personal attorney to President Donald Trump, retired from the U.S. attorney’s office in January after a federal judge ruled he was illegally appointed to the position four months earlier.
During his tenure, Harrigan filed charges against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, which were later dismissed.
USA TODAY has reached out to Harrigan and the Justice Department for comment.
Who is Lindsey Harrigan?
In September 2025, Attorney General Pam Bondi appointed Harrigan to head the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia after former Chief Justice Eric Siebert resigned.
Mr. Siebert reportedly expressed skepticism about bringing charges against Mr. Comey and Mr. James and told colleagues in an email that he was resigning. President Trump later said in a social media post that he had fired Sievert.
Hours after that post, Bondi issued an order appointing Harrigan as interim chief. Harrigan had never been a prosecutor before.
Within weeks of his appointment, Mr. Harrigan’s office secured indictments against both Mr. Comey and Mr. James. The charges were later dismissed.
Why Lindsay Harrigan’s role as U.S. attorney was challenged
Two months after Mr. Harrigan’s office announced the charges against Mr. Comey and Mr. James, the charges were dismissed when a judge ruled that Mr. Harrigan was illegally appointed to the position.
Senior U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Curry said in an opinion that only the district court has the authority to appoint a new chief justice for the Eastern District of Virginia. Mr. Curry said that because Mr. Harrigan was not legally appointed, her actions as a prosecutor, including securing indictments against Mr. Comey and Mr. James, must be set aside. The Department of Justice appealed this decision.
In a separate lawsuit, on January 6, U.S. District Judge David Novak of the Eastern District of Virginia ordered Harrigan to explain why he identified himself as a U.S. attorney, given an earlier ruling. In response, the Justice Department accused Novak of exceeding his authority.
And in his Jan. 20 ruling, Novak threatened Harrigan with disciplinary proceedings if he continued to use the title U.S. attorney. The next day, Bondi announced Harrigan’s resignation from the role.
Contributor: James Powell, USA TODAY
Melina Khan is USA TODAY’s national trends reporter. Contact her at melina.khan@usatoday.com.
