Judge Says 'missteps' In James Comey Case Could Result In Charges Against Him Being Dismissed

A national judge successful Virginia connected Monday ordered prosecutors to move complete expansive assemblage materials successful nan criminal lawsuit against James Comey aft uncovering nan government's handling of nan lawsuit raises "genuine issues of misconduct" that could consequence successful nan charges against nan erstwhile FBI head being dismissed.

Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick said successful his ruling that the type of alleviation Comey's lawyers are seeking is "rarely granted," but that "the grounds points to a disturbing shape of profound investigative missteps, missteps that led an FBI supplier and a charismatic to perchance undermine nan integrity of nan expansive assemblage proceeding." The ruling directs nan authorities to move complete nan worldly to Comey's squad by nan extremity of nan day.

Among nan missteps nan judge said he recovered while reviewing nan expansive assemblage proceedings successful nan lawsuit were statements made to nan sheet by acting U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan, a erstwhile individual lawyer to President Donald Trump who had nary anterior prosecutorial experience.

Fitzpatrick said nan tribunal "identified 2 statements by nan charismatic to nan expansive jurors that connected their look look to beryllium basal misstatements of nan rule that could discuss nan integrity of nan expansive assemblage process," he wrote.

Acting U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan is prosecuting erstwhile FBI Director James Comey.Al Drago / Bloomberg via Getty Images file

Fitzpatrick besides pointed to nan government's handling of perchance privileged attorney-client accusation successful nan case.

“The quality and circumstances surrounding nan government’s imaginable violations of nan Fourth Amendment and tribunal orders found a reasonable ground to mobility whether nan government’s behaviour was willful aliases successful reckless disregard of nan law,” Fitzpatrick wrote.

Halligan's agency declined to comment. The Justice Department besides did not instantly respond to a petition for comment.