The Florida Bar has reversed its earlier statement that it was investigating Lindsey Halligan, a former interim US attorney appointed by Donald Trump. In a statement on Friday, spokesperson Jennifer Krell Davis said the bar had “erroneously” indicated an ethics investigation was underway, clarifying that there is no pending probe.
The confusion arose after the Campaign for Accountability, a watchdog group, filed a complaint alleging Halligan violated ethical rules. In February, Florida Bar counsel Carlos A Leon wrote to the group’s executive director, Michelle Kuppersmith, stating: “We already have an investigation pending.” However, Davis later said the bar was merely “monitoring the ongoing legal proceedings” related to the complaint, which is standard practice.
Halligan, primarily known as an insurance litigator and personal lawyer to Trump, served as US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. She oversaw indictments against New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey, both critics of Trump. A federal judge dismissed both cases in November, ruling Halligan’s appointment was unlawful because her predecessor had already served 120 days, leaving federal judges with exclusive authority to name a replacement.
The Campaign for Accountability argued that Halligan falsely claimed to be a US attorney, violating ethics rules. Kuppersmith expressed skepticism about the bar’s retraction, saying it was “hard to reconcile” with the earlier letter. She questioned why an investigation would not proceed given court findings that Halligan “engaged in conduct that appears to violate ethics rules.”
