A recent transcript reveals that a U.S. Magistrate Judge, Lindsey Vaala, expressed confusion and surprise regarding the handling of former FBI Director James Comey's indictment. The short, seven-minute court session in Alexandria, Virginia, highlighted inconsistencies that raised eyebrows.
Judge Questions Two Versions of Indictment
According to CBS News, Judge Vaala directly questioned interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan, formerly a personal lawyer for Trump, about the existence of two different versions of the indictment. One version included three counts, while the other only contained two. This discrepancy immediately raised concerns about the integrity of the process.
Grand Jury's Decision and the Missing Count
The grand jury, after reviewing the Comey matter, reportedly voted against charging him on one of the three counts initially presented by prosecutors. However, he was indicted on the remaining two counts: making false statements to Congress and obstructing a congressional proceeding. The confusion arose when both versions of the indictment – one reflecting the dropped count and one omitting it entirely – were filed on the case docket.
"So this has never happened before. I've been handed two documents that are in the Mr. Comey case that are inconsistent with one another," Judge Vaala stated, highlighting the unprecedented nature of the situation. She further noted that one document lacked clarity regarding the grand jury's decision, potentially implying a failure to concur across all three counts.
The prosecutor, Halligan, initially claimed unfamiliarity with the version showing the dropped count, stating she had only reviewed the redrafted version with the two counts that were "true billed." This explanation did little to quell the judge's concerns about the handling of this high-profile case.