U.S. Magistrate Judge Lindsey Vaala expressed confusion and surprise at some points during the seven-minute court session when a federal grand jury impaneled in Alexandria, Virginia, returned the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey Thursday night.
According to a transcript of the proceedings obtained by CBS News, Judge Vaala asked the newly named interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan — a former Trump personal lawyer — why there were two versions of the indictment.
A majority of the grand jury that reviewed the Comey matter voted not to charge him with one of the three counts presented by prosecutors, according to a form that was signed by the grand jury’s foreperson and filed in court. He was indicted on two other counts — making false statements to Congress and obstructing a congressional proceeding — after 14 of 23 jurors voted in favor of them, the foreperson told the judge.
Literally every single legal professional who has looked into the indictment has expressed confusion over it.
Well, confusion over its merits and contents, not confusion over why Halligan filed it.
I did not see the other one. I don’t know where that came from," Halligan told the judge.
Vaala responded, “You didn’t see it?” And Halligan again told her, “I did not see that one.”
Vaala seemed surprised: “So your office didn’t prepare the indictment that they —”
Halligan then replied, “No, no, no — I — no, I prepared three counts. I only signed the one — the two-count (indictment). I don’t know which one with three counts you have in your hands.”
“Okay. It has your signature on it,” Vaala told Halligan, who responded, “Okay. Well.”
Yeah I lied. Again. In court. Which is cool, right.
Which is cool, right
I long for the day when they are wrong about that
“Okay. It has your signature on it,” Vaala told Halligan, who responded, “Okay. Well.”
Yeah I lied.
Don’t jump to conclusions. In this particular case, it seems far more likely that she is so incompetent and stupid that she doesn’t even know what she’s signing.
In court it’s kind of the same.
It’s better then lying to congress because the congress is a bastion of truth.
So was the AG who filed it
Lindsey Halligan. She’s an interim AG. When this filling was going down, she had been on the job as a prosecutor for four days.
Her previous experience is an insurance attorney. So, yeah, going to be a lot more of these “oopsies” along the way.
Judge: “I thought they were asking for toilet paper!”
