Lindsey Halligan, the newly nominated U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, is facing scrutiny online after making a mistake in her statement announcing the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey.
Comey was charged by a federal grand jury on Thursday with obstruction and making a false statement related to the FBI’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election — days after President Donald Trump appeared to demand Attorney General Pam Bondi to prosecute him and other political opponents.
The indictment stems from the former FBI director’s testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2020.
“My heart is broken for the Department of Justice,” Comey said in a video posted to his Instagram account following the announcement. “I have great confidence in the federal judicial system and I am innocent, so let’s have a trial, and keep the faith.”
Halligan, a former Colorado beauty queen and White House aide who is expected to prosecute Comey, issued a statement about the indictment.
“The charges as alleged in this case represent a breach of the public trust at an extraordinary level,” Halligan said in her statement, adding: “The balance of power is a bedrock principal of our democracy, and it relies upon accountability and a forthright presentation of facts from executive leadership to congressional oversight.”
A number of social media users quickly pointed to a spelling error — which should read “principle” rather than “principal.”
“Not a typo on our end,” CBS News Justice Correspondent Scott MacFarlane wrote on X. “The Justice Dept press release statement refers to a bedrock ‘principal.’”
MacFarlane’s post was met with people poking fun at the blunder.
“Well, obviously this is what she meant,” one user said, attaching an image from the sitcom “The Flintstones.”
Journalist John Harwood added: “Administration of the poorly-educated.”
“Idiocracy,” Josh Kraushaar, the editor in chief of Jewish Insider, responded.
A different user also caught the misspelling on MSNBC, pointing out that Halligan “doesn’t know the difference between a bedrock principle and a bedrock ‘principal.’”
The typo in the statement appears to have been corrected on the Department of Justice’s website.
Halligan, who was sworn into her role on Monday, replaced federal prosecutor Erik Siebert, who resigned a week ago after reportedly facing pressure from Trump for refusing to pursue charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James. Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee on Friday are initiating a review of Siebert‘s ouster.
Critics of Trump claim the indictment shows the Justice Department’s weaponization against the president’s perceived political enemies. Comey was fired during Trump’s first administration and has been viewed as a target for retribution by his supporters.
“Whether you like Corrupt James Comey or not, and I can’t imagine too many people liking him, HE LIED! It is not a complex lie, it’s a very simple, but IMPORTANT one,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform early Friday.
“There is no way he can explain his way out of it. He is a Dirty Cop, and always has been…” he continued.
Comey’s arraignment is set for Oct. 9.
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