Justice Dept fires Virginia pick after judges installed him as US Attorney
Justice Dept fires Virginia pick after judges installed him as US Attorney
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the firing, ending James Hundley's run as the judges' pick for U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia.
WASHINGTON — A lawyer selected by judges to serve as the top federal prosecutor for the Eastern District of Virginia was fired Friday by the Justice Department, the latest twist in a years-long tug-of-war over who appoints U.S. attorneys. James Hundley, who had been unanimously chosen by the district court to replace a Trump-era appointee, was announced as fired by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche on social media. Hundley has three decades of experience handling criminal and civil work, and his appointment had been watched closely amid broader questions about executive vs. judicial authority in these high-profile posts.
The firing comes amid a broader upheaval in the EDVA, where the office has endured a wave of leadership changes and controversy surrounding prior appointments. Previously, Lindsey Halligan — a White House aide who had secured indictments against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James — was deemed by a judge to have been unlawfully appointed, and she resigned after judges signaled skepticism about her legitimacy. The cases tied to those indictments were dismissed, and the Department of Justice has appealed that ruling.
Hundley’s unanimous selection by judges and his subsequent firing underscore a persistent policy clash: whether the district court’s appointment authority should prevail when an initial appointment expires, or whether the executive branch ultimately controls those appointments. The parties have left room for ongoing disputes as the DOJ determines next steps for the EDVA’s leadership. Hundley’s firing marks another moment in what many observers see as a volatile chapter for one of the department’s most influential prosecution offices.
As the office continues to navigate leadership changes and pending legal questions, the focus will be on stability and continued enforcement of federal laws in Virginia and beyond.
