A federal judge has tossed out criminal charges against former FBI director James Comey and New York attorney general Letitia James.
District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie ruled that Lindsey Halligan, the Trump-installed prosecutor who secured the indictment against two of the president’s most noted adversaries, was illegally appointed to her position as US attorney for the eastern district of Virginia.
Currie wrote that Halligan had “no lawful authority” to present the indictments to both Comey and James (in separate cases). Lawyers for the former FBI director argued that when Halligan secured the indictment, the clock for a temporary US attorney had been run-out by her predecessor, Erik Siebert (who had already served for 120 days). They said it ultimately disqualified Halligan from holding the position at all.
Key events
Trump to visit Beijing in April, after ‘very good’ call with Xi Jinping
The president has said he will visit Beijing in April, after a “very good” call with China’s leader, Xi Jinping.
Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social that he “discussed many topics including Ukraine/Russia, Fentanyl, Soybeans and other Farm Products”.
He also teased a “good, and very important, deal for our Great Farmers”, and summarised the relationship with China as “extremely strong”. This despite a brewing trade war with the nation, following their decision to limit exports of rare earth minerals, and the US issuing retaliatory tariffs.
“President Xi invited me to visit Beijing in April, which I accepted,” Trump added. “I reciprocated where he will be my guest for a State Visit in the U.S. later in the year. We agreed that it is important that we communicate often, which I look forward to doing.”
‘I’ve given too much to this country to be silenced by bullies,’ senator Kelly responds to secretary Hegseth
Earlier, we brought you the news that the Department of Defense is investigating veteran and sitting Democratic senator Mark Kelly.
This, after the Arizona lawmaker joined five other members of Congress in telling active duty military to “refuse illegal orders” in a social media video.
For his part, Kelly has responded in a statement. “Secretary Hegseth’s tweet is the first I heard of this. I also saw the President’s posts saying I should be arrested, hanged, and put to death,” he wrote in a post on X. “If this is meant to intimidate me and other members of Congress from doing our jobs and holding this administration accountable, it won’t work. I’ve given too much to this country to be silenced by bullies who care more about their own power than protecting the Constitution.”
Kelly also gave a brief summary of his military career:
In combat, I had a missile blow up next to my jet and flew through anti-aircraft fire to drop bombs on enemy targets. At NASA, I launched on a rocket, commanded the space shuttle, and was part of the recovery mission that brought home the bodies of my astronaut classmates who died on Columbia. I did all of this in service to this country that I love and has given me so much.
Halligan’s conduct in the Comey case came under sustained scrutiny from three different judges. A magistrate judge determined that Halligan may have committed other significant legal errors in instructing and presenting evidence to the same grand jury.
The justice department denied to Reuters that Halligan engaged in any misconduct and argued that the magistrate judge’s ruling was based on misinterpretations and assumptions.
A reminder that Comey was charged with making false statements and obstructing a congressional investigation. Prosecutors alleged he lied to the Senate judiciary committee during a 2020 hearing when he said he stood behind prior testimony that he had not authorized FBI leaks about investigations into Trump and his 2016 presidential election rival, Hillary Clinton.
Comey has had an antagonistic relationship with Trump since his first term in 2017, when the president fired Comey while he was overseeing an investigation into alleged ties between Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russia.
Comey, who pleaded not guilty, mounted an array of legal challenges to the case, arguing that Halligan was unlawfully appointed as interim US attorney, that the case was an improper “vindictive” prosecution engineered by Trump, and that the substance of the false statement allegation was legally flawed.
A federal judge has tossed out criminal charges against former FBI director James Comey and New York attorney general Letitia James.
District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie ruled that Lindsey Halligan, the Trump-installed prosecutor who secured the indictment against two of the president’s most noted adversaries, was illegally appointed to her position as US attorney for the eastern district of Virginia.
Currie wrote that Halligan had “no lawful authority” to present the indictments to both Comey and James (in separate cases). Lawyers for the former FBI director argued that when Halligan secured the indictment, the clock for a temporary US attorney had been run-out by her predecessor, Erik Siebert (who had already served for 120 days). They said it ultimately disqualified Halligan from holding the position at all.
Judge dismisses charges against ex-FBI director James Comey, rebuking Trump’s prosecutor
We’re getting lines in through the news wires that a US district judge has dismissed the charges against former FBI director James Comey, and found that the prosecutor leading the case against Comey was unlawfully appointed as US attorney.
The judge also dismissed the charges against New York attorney general Letitia James.
We’ll bring you more on this as we get it.
Pentagon says it’s investigating senator Mark Kelly for video urging troops to defy ‘illegal orders’
The Pentagon has said it’s investigating Democratic senator Mark Kelly of Arizona for possible breaches of military law after Kelly joined a handful of other lawmakers in a video that called for US troops to refuse unlawful orders.
The Pentagon’s statement, which was posted on social media this morning, cited a federal law that allows retired servicemembers to be recalled to active duty on orders of the defense secretary for possible court-martial or other measures.
Kelly served in the US navy as a fighter pilot before going on to become an astronaut. He retired at the rank of captain.
As the Associated Press notes, it is extraordinary for the Pentagon, which until the second Trump term has usually gone out of its way to act and appear apolitical, to directly threaten a sitting member of Congress with investigation.
In its statement, the Pentagon suggests that Kelly’s statements in the video interfered with the “loyalty, morale, or good order and discipline of the armed forces” by citing the federal law that prohibits such actions.
“A thorough review of these allegations has been initiated to determine further actions, which may include recall to active duty for court-martial proceedings or administrative measures,” the statement said.
In the video that was posted last Tuesday, Kelly was one of six lawmakers who served in the military or intelligence community to speak “directly to members of the military”.
Kelly, told troops “you can refuse illegal orders” and other lawmakers said that they needed troops to “stand up for our laws … our Constitution”.
First lady Melania Trump has received the White House Christmas tree, which will be posted in the Blue Room. The tree is a 25-foot concolor fir from Korson’s Tree Farms in Michigan, according to the White House. It was delivered to the White House on a horse-drawn cart while a band played O Christmas Tree. You can watch the clip here.
Xi tells Trump Taiwan’s ‘return’ key to post-war order – reports
Donald Trump and Xi Jinping spoke on the phone this morning, multiple outlets are reporting, with the White House confirming the call but not providing many details or indicating who initiated it.
Chinese state media said the call focused on the issue of Taiwan, which Trump said did not come up in their recent in-person meeting. Chinese media said Xi told Trump that “Taiwan’s return to China is an integral part of the post-war international order”.
China regards Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to take control of it, though the island’s government rejects Beijing’s claim and says only Taiwan’s people can decide their future.
China is locked in its biggest diplomatic crisis for years with Japan, after Japanese prime minister Sanae Takaichi said this month a hypothetical Chinese attack on democratically governed Taiwan could trigger a military response from Tokyo.
Xi and Trump met in South Korea on 30 October following months of trade tensions triggered by Trump’s tariff policies. China has since pledged to resume purchases of US soybeans and loosen its expanded curbs on rare earths exports, while the US agreed to lower tariffs on China by 10%.
Xi said that China-US ties have stabilised and improved since their meeting. “The facts again show that cooperation benefits both sides while confrontation hurts both,” he told Trump, urging the two countries to maintain positive momentum and expand cooperation.
The two leaders also discussed recent developments in the war in Ukraine, with Xi reiterating that China supports all efforts conducive to peace while calling on all parties to narrow their differences. (A reminder that China claims neutrality but has been providing significant support to Russia’s war effort).
As we bring you the latest on the escalating military action in Venezuela, my colleagues Tiago Rogero, Ana Lucía González Paz and Lucy Swan have put together a comprehensive breakdown on how we got to this point. This includes details about the strikes on suspected drug-trafficking boats that have killed 83 people in recent months, and the approximate location of several US navy ships in the Caribbean.
Take a look at their full report, chock-full of detailed graphics, below.
Trump eyes new healthcare plan, includes two-year Obamacare extension – reports
The president is set to unveil a new healthcare proposal, according to several reports. Politico notes that this will include a two-year extension of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits, which are set to expire at the end of this year.
Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill agreed to hold a vote on extending the Obamacare subsidies in December, after some of the Democratic caucus broke from the party and passed a stopgap funding bill to reopen the federal government.
Now, the White House’s reported plan will include new income caps for enrollees to qualify for the ACA credits, as well as minimum premium payments. MS NOW reports that the new proposal will also feature a health savings account to “incentivize lower-premium options” on the ACA exchange, that would mean the difference in coverage would be deposited to an account that enrollees can use directly. This is a move that certain GOP senators, like senate health committee chair Bill Cassidy, have pushed as an option.
Trump administration ends Temporary Protected Status for Myanmar
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has filed a notice in the federal register to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for citizens of Myanmar living in the US. A reminder that TPS is a program that allows immigrants from designated countries, usually experiencing natural disaster, persecution or conflict, to work and live legally in the US for a certain period of time.
Recently, Donald Trump also said he would end protections for Somalian immigrants living in Minnesota. TPS for Somalia is already set to lapse at the end of March 2026.
New poll shows overwhelming majority of Americans opposed to military action in Venezuela
A new CBS News/YouGov poll shows that 70% of Americans are opposed to any military action in Venezuela. The survey, which took place between 19 and 21 November, also showed that 76% of respondents said that Donald Trump hasn’t yet made clear what US position on military action in Venezuela is.
There was a smaller gap in opinion when it came to the administration’s strikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats in and around the Caribbean, which have killed more than 80 people. 53% of Americans approve of the force used, while 47% disapprove.
My colleague, Jakub Krupa, is covering the latest developments out of Europe today. He notes that Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted on Telegram to say that his country’s delegation is returning home after talks in Geneva.
Zelenskyy says that he is “awaiting a full report” on the progress of negotiations, which should come this evening.
He added:
Based on the results of the reports, we will determine further steps and timing. We will continue to coordinate with Europe and other partners in the world.
You can follow along at our dedicated live blog below.
Marjorie Taylor Greene calls out ‘smear, lies, attacks and name calling’ following resignation announcement
The outgoing Georgia congresswoman, Marjorie Taylor Greene, said today that “smears, lies, attacks, and name calling is childish behavior, divisive, and bad for our country”. This comes after she announced her decision to resign from Congress in January.
In recent weeks, Greene has had a very public falling out with Donald Trump, which culminated in the president calling her a “traitor” after she supported a vote for the justice department to release the complete trove of Jeffrey Epstein files.
On Saturday, Trump told reporters that much of his frustration towards Greene, previously one of his fiercest allies on Capitol Hill, was because she supported Republican representative Thomas Massie with his discharge petition effort. Soon after, Trump announced he was no longer supporting Greene. “Once I left her, she resigned,” he said. “Because she would have never have survived the primary. But I think she’s a nice person.”
Today, without naming the president or any Republican colleagues, the Georgia lawmaker pushed back on X.
“Memes and red meat rants do nothing. Actions speak louder than words,” Greene wrote. “Be quiet, be kind, be humble and fix the real problems that are crushing Americans. Not foreign country’s problems. Not the donor’s problems.”
