After the DOJ’s case against James Comey was blown to pieces on Monday — thanks to a judge ruling that the prosecutor was improperly appointed — White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had a little reality check for the celebrating former FBI director.
Her message? Don’t get too comfortable.
Leavitt made it clear that Comey might want to ease up on the victory lap, because this saga isn’t over and he is far from out of the woods:
Well, what I will say is that everybody knows that James Comey lied to Congress.
It’s as clear as day, and this judge took an unprecedented action to throw these cases out to shield James Comey and Letitia James from accountability, based on a technical ruling. And the administration disagrees with that technical ruling. We believe the attorney in this case, Lindsey Halligan, is not only extremely qualified for this position, but she was, in fact, legally appointed.
And I know the Department of Justice will be appealing this in very short order. So maybe James Comey should pump the brakes on his victory lap.
? NEW: Karoline Leavitt says James Comey should "PUMP THE BREAKS" on his "Victory Lap."
"I know the Department of Justice will be APPEALING this in very short order. So maybe James should PUMP THE BRAKES on his victory lap." pic.twitter.com/4uIq7fOx7B
— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) November 24, 2025
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Trump still has full confidence in Lindsey Halligan despite the setback, calling the judge’s ruling “unprecedented.” In other words, the administration isn’t buying the idea that this is some clean win for James Comey.
Comey, of course, responded with yet another sanctimonious video, portraying himself as the victim of a prosecution supposedly marred by “malevolence and incompetence.” Spare us. This is the same man who once pretended he had no idea what “86 47” meant — but now he’s suddenly a scholar of fairness, morality, and good governance.
Comey also seems blissfully unaware — or willfully ignorant — of one important detail: the case was dismissed “without prejudice.” In plain English, that means the charges can still be refiled.
And while the statute of limitations has now technically run on the alleged offenses, the law provides an additional filing window when a case that was originally brought on time gets tossed on procedural grounds. In other words, Comey’s not nearly as safe as he’s pretending to be.
Halligan was appointed acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia by Attorney General Pam Bondi in September, after her predecessor, Erik Siebert — who had fallen out of favor with the White House — resigned. Not long after that, Comey was indicted on two charges: making a false statement to Congress and obstructing a congressional proceeding.
So no, this isn’t wrapped up. Not even close. The fat lady hasn’t started singing — she hasn’t even stepped onto the stage yet.
