A federal judge has dismissed the criminal cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. The judge ruled that the prosecutor who filed the charges, at the urging of President Donald Trump, was illegally appointed by the Justice Department.

U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie issued the ruling, which serves as a significant setback for the Trump administration's attempts to target political opponents. The decision also underscores the administration's strategy to quickly install a loyalist prosecutor to pursue these cases. Lindsey Halligan, the prosecutor in question, has now become the latest Trump administration appointee to be disqualified due to the circumstances of her appointment.

Both Comey and James had requested that the cases be dismissed with prejudice, which would prevent the Justice Department from re-filing them. However, Judge Currie dismissed the cases without prejudice, leaving open the possibility that the Justice Department could attempt to revive the prosecutions.

The judge's order focused on the process used by the Trump administration to appoint Halligan, who previously served as a White House aide and had no prior prosecutorial experience. Halligan was appointed in September after Erik Siebert, the previous interim U.S. attorney, resigned under pressure from the Trump administration to pursue charges against Comey and James.

Comey’s legal team argued that the federal court judges should have had the authority to decide who would fill the vacancy left by Siebert. Instead, Trump nominated Halligan while publicly urging action against his political opponents, stating on social media, "JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!"

Days after Halligan's appointment, Comey was indicted on charges of making a false statement and obstructing Congress. James faced similar charges related to a mortgage fraud investigation shortly thereafter.

While judges in other states have disqualified interim U.S. attorneys, they have allowed cases initiated under their leadership to proceed. However, lawyers for Comey and James contended that Currie’s ruling should extend further, as Halligan was the sole signer of the indictments and a key figure behind the charges.

Comey has been a prominent critic of Trump since his appointment by President Barack Obama in 2013. He oversaw an investigation into potential collusion between Trump’s campaign and Russia during the 2016 election. Trump fired Comey in May 2017, leading to ongoing public disputes between the two.

James has also been a frequent target of Trump, particularly after she secured a significant judgment against him and the Trump Organization for allegedly defrauding banks by inflating the value of his real estate assets. Although an appeals court overturned the fine, which had exceeded $500 million with interest, it upheld a lower court's finding that Trump had committed fraud.