Federal Judge Questions DOJ's Approach in James Comey Case, Rejects Expedited Ruling on Sensitive Evidence Processing
In a move that suggests some doubts about the prosecution's strategy, US District Judge Michael Nachmanoff has rejected another early motion from the Justice Department in James Comey's criminal case. The latest ruling comes as the Justice Department, led by Lindsey Halligan and two DOJ prosecutors from North Carolina, continues to face scrutiny over its approach in prosecuting a former FBI director who is facing charges of lying to investigators.
The prosecution's failed motion sought an expedited ruling on how potentially sensitive evidence is processed through a filter protocol, which they claimed was necessary to avoid potential delays. However, the defense team, led by Patrick Fitzgerald, argued that the government's request for an expedited ruling was unfounded and lacked merit.
Nachmanoff's rejection of the motion was not surprising, given his previous rulings on similar issues. In fact, he had previously rejected a similar motion from the DOJ in a previous case, citing concerns about the government's handling of potentially sensitive evidence.
The latest decision suggests that Nachmanoff remains skeptical of Halligan's approach to the case. The judge noted that the government had failed to seek guidance on the use of filter protocols until months after the defense team raised concerns about it. He also pointed out that the report forming the basis for the DOJ's claim against Fitzgerald was public knowledge since 2019 and that the government had a long time to review it before filing its motion.
The case is significant, not only because of its high-profile defendant but also because it raises questions about the proper use of filter protocols in investigations. Comey's lawyers have argued that Halligan's appointment as special counsel was unlawful and that she has pursued a vindictive prosecution against him. The DOJ will respond to those arguments next month.
While this latest ruling is just one small step in the case, it highlights ongoing concerns about the prosecution's approach. As the litigation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen whether Halligan's team can recover from these setbacks and mount a successful defense of their strategy.
In a move that suggests some doubts about the prosecution's strategy, US District Judge Michael Nachmanoff has rejected another early motion from the Justice Department in James Comey's criminal case. The latest ruling comes as the Justice Department, led by Lindsey Halligan and two DOJ prosecutors from North Carolina, continues to face scrutiny over its approach in prosecuting a former FBI director who is facing charges of lying to investigators.
The prosecution's failed motion sought an expedited ruling on how potentially sensitive evidence is processed through a filter protocol, which they claimed was necessary to avoid potential delays. However, the defense team, led by Patrick Fitzgerald, argued that the government's request for an expedited ruling was unfounded and lacked merit.
Nachmanoff's rejection of the motion was not surprising, given his previous rulings on similar issues. In fact, he had previously rejected a similar motion from the DOJ in a previous case, citing concerns about the government's handling of potentially sensitive evidence.
The latest decision suggests that Nachmanoff remains skeptical of Halligan's approach to the case. The judge noted that the government had failed to seek guidance on the use of filter protocols until months after the defense team raised concerns about it. He also pointed out that the report forming the basis for the DOJ's claim against Fitzgerald was public knowledge since 2019 and that the government had a long time to review it before filing its motion.
The case is significant, not only because of its high-profile defendant but also because it raises questions about the proper use of filter protocols in investigations. Comey's lawyers have argued that Halligan's appointment as special counsel was unlawful and that she has pursued a vindictive prosecution against him. The DOJ will respond to those arguments next month.
While this latest ruling is just one small step in the case, it highlights ongoing concerns about the prosecution's approach. As the litigation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen whether Halligan's team can recover from these setbacks and mount a successful defense of their strategy.
but i guess Nachmanoff is trying to keep an eye on the DOJ's gameplan in this whole Comey thing. if they're really worried about delays, they should've asked for guidance sooner 
. i'm still not convinced Halligan's gonna be able to recover from these setbacks tho 
. the fact that the report was public knowledge since 2019 is wild 
. anyway, this just makes me wanna watch some Comey documentaries or something 
if it's been public knowledge since 2019 then what's the big deal? nachmanoff seems like a decent judge, maybe he'll keep a closer eye on things 
I remember back in my day, we didn't have all these fancy lawyers and judges making rulings left and right. No sir, we just trusted our law enforcement to do their job. And you know what? They usually did just fine without needing some fancy lawyer like Patrick Fitzgerald breathing down their necks. 
.
like, i get it, she's got a reputation for being tough on politicians, but come on. this whole thing is just a big mess and i'm not sure anyone knows what they're doing 
Nachmanoff seems pretty skeptical of the DOJ's approach so far and i think he's right to be. maybe halligan's team needs to take a step back and re-evaluate their strategy? this case is going to be all over the news for a long time, that's for sure 
. And yeah, it's pretty clear that Halligan's team is in a hole and can't dig their way out of it 
. The fact that they're trying to rush the process like that just makes them look like they're hiding something 
The fact that Nachmanoff kept calling them out on this tells me he's not buying what Halligan's selling. And this case, with Comey at the center, is a real nail in the coffin for the DOJ's credibility. They need to tread carefully if they want to avoid looking like they're covering up something. 
but really they're just messing around with evidence protocols for no reason 
i'm dying over here!!! Judge Nachmanoff is low-key roasting Lindsey Halligan and her DOJ prosecutors 
Patrick Fitzgerald is getting his due respect for standing up to those prosecutors 
Nachmanoff's rulings are always so detailed and fact-checked 
I'm loving the drama unfolding in this case 
) and we'll just have to wait and see how this all plays out 
. I think the prosecution's trying too hard to make this case stick and it's gonna backfire on 'em big time 
. The whole thing with filter protocols is just a mess 
... why couldn't they have just been upfront about how they planned to process that evidence in the first place?
judge nachmanoff is like the ultimate Comey ally!!! he's not having any part of the DOJ's shady tactics 
and now they're trying to spin it as if he's being too slow lol like, noooo man you can't just rush through a filter protocol without even checking with the defense first?! 
i'm not saying its good or bad but shouldn't we have more transparency in our investigations? judge nachmanoff seems to be keeping the government on its toes, that's a good thing 