Carrie Johnson

soon after the prosecutor already in that job expressed doubts about moving forward with charges against prominent critics of President Trump.

Now, a federal judge has found Halligan's appointment defective under the Constitution.

The ruling means that indictments Halligan won against the former FBI director and the sitting New York Attorney General are dismissed for now.

The Justice Department has the option to appeal and could try to revive both cases.

Lawyers for Jim Comey and Tish James are challenging the indictments on several other grounds.

Carrie Johnson, NPR News, Washington.

President Trump fired Comey as the FBI director in 2017, and Comey went on to become a fierce critic.

The Justice Department won an indictment against Comey for allegedly misleading and obstructing Congress under pressure from Trump, who's called him a dirty cop and a slimeball.

Now Comey's moving to dismiss the case because he says it's a vindictive or selective prosecution.

He says at least four top officials during President Trump's first term allegedly lied to Congress, and none of them was charged with any crimes.

The president's animus against Comey is so intense that the Justice Department recently fired Comey's daughter without any clear reason.

Carrie Johnson, NPR News, Washington.

Federal authorities detained David Huerta for days after a June immigration raid and ultimately charged him with a felony for resisting law enforcement.

Now they've pared down that charge down to a misdemeanor, which carries a maximum of one year in jail.

Huerta's attorneys say he's being singled out for being an advocate for workers and an outspoken critic of President Trump's immigration policies.

They argue the Justice Department is weaponizing against Trump opponents to try to silence them.

In recent weeks, grand juries in California have declined to charge some people accused of resisting immigration officers.

Carrie Johnson, NPR News.

The grand jury indictment charges John Bolton with eight counts of transmitting national defense information and 10 counts of unlawfully retaining those secrets.

The charges come two months after the FBI searched Bolton's home and office.