Lindsey Halligan is an American lawyer currently serving as the interim United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, a high-profile federal prosecutor role she assumed in September 2025 amid significant legal controversy. Her appointment by President Donald Trump has drawn national attention because it has been challenged in federal court and deemed unlawful by a judge, leading to the dismissal of major cases she brought forward. Halligan previously worked as a partner at a Florida law firm and as a personal attorney and White House aide to Trump, roles that have shaped her prominence in U.S. legal and political circles. Her tenure underscores ongoing debates over prosecutorial appointments and the boundaries of executive authority in the justice system.
Early Life
Lindsey Halligan was born on July 21, 1989, in Portland, Maine. She grew up in Broomfield, Colorado. Her parents both worked as audiologists.
In Broomfield, Halligan attended Holy Family High School, a private Catholic school. She played on the school’s softball and basketball teams during high school. After high school, she participated in the Miss Colorado USA pageant in 2009 and 2010, reaching the semifinals in 2009 and finishing third runner-up in 2010.
Halligan earned a bachelor’s degree in politics and broadcast journalism from Regis University in Denver. She then attended the University of Miami School of Law and received her J.D. in 2013. While in law school, Halligan interned with a Miami-based innocence project clinic (a program working to free wrongfully convicted individuals) and with the Miami-Dade County public defender’s office.
| Fact Category | Verified Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Lindsey Halligan, American attorney. |
| Date of Birth | Born on July 21, 1989. |
| Profession | Lawyer and federal prosecutor. |
| Famous For | Interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. |
| Political Role | Appointed by President Donald Trump in 2025. |
| Legal Background | Former partner at Cole, Scott & Kissane law firm. |
| Education | J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law. |
| Controversy | Appointment ruled unlawful by a federal judge. |
| Net Worth | Estimated $1.5–$2 million as of 2026. |
| Current Status | Serving as Acting U.S. Attorney pending appeal. |
Professional Beginnings
Lindsey Halligan built her legal foundation in Florida. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Regis University and a J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law in 2013. Early in her legal career she interned at the Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Office and with the Innocence Project. After law school, she joined the Florida insurance-defense firm Cole, Scott & Kissane, where she focused on property-insurance disputes and was elevated to partner in 2018. These roles gave her nearly a decade of experience handling civil litigation before entering national politics.
Role Progression & Industry Contributions
Halligan’s career transitioned from insurance law to the political arena in the early 2020s. She worked briefly for Trump’s Save America PAC before joining former President Trump’s private legal team in late 2022. As one of the junior lawyers on Trump’s team, Halligan took part in high-profile cases stemming from the FBI’s Mar-a-Lago search. In August 2022 she was at Mar-a-Lago during the FBI raid, and she helped file a special-master request asking the court to review the seized materials. Her work on the Mar-a-Lago case and related litigation garnered public attention as part of Trump’s defense efforts.
When Trump began a second term in January 2025, Halligan moved into the White House. She was appointed White House Senior Associate Staff Secretary and Special Assistant to the President. In those roles she reviewed executive-branch legal and policy matters. Notably, Halligan led an administration review of Smithsonian Institution exhibits to ensure they aligned with the president’s cultural priorities. A White House statement praised her qualifications, saying she “has a proven track record of success” and would serve with “honor and distinction” in her new role.
Notable Career Milestones
Halligan’s rapid rise continued in September 2025 when President Trump named her Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. Attorney General Pam Bondi swore her into that interim position on September 22, 2025. In that capacity Halligan became the top federal prosecutor in EDVA, overseeing about 300 attorneys and staff across multiple offices serving over six million residents.
Early in her tenure she took on politically sensitive cases: Halligan pursued indictments against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, charging each with criminal misconduct. However, a federal judge later ruled that her appointment was unlawful and dismissed those indictments. The Justice Department has said it will appeal that ruling. Halligan’s nomination for the permanent U.S. Attorney post was forwarded to the Senate in late 2025, but faced opposition from Virginia’s senators.
Current Position & Ongoing Initiatives
As of early 2026, Halligan continues to serve as the acting U.S. Attorney for EDVA. She remains responsible for managing the district’s federal prosecutions and civil litigation. The Justice Department has appealed the judge’s ruling that invalidated her appointment, while Halligan’s formal confirmation process is awaiting action by the Senate Judiciary Committee. Her office continues to handle a broad docket of national-security, public corruption, and other federal cases. Throughout this period, Halligan’s official profile states her term as U.S. Attorney runs from 2025 to the present, underlining that she leads the EDVA office during this controversial transition.
Who is the husband of Lindsey Halligan?
Lindsey Halligan has kept her personal life largely private, and there is no verifiable public record of a marriage. A Times of India profile notes that reports of her being married to a man named “Ryan Halligan” are based on unverified sources, and emphasizes that “none of these details have been confirmed” by Halligan or any official documentation.
Does Lindsey Halligan have any children?
Halligan has no publicly confirmed children. In fact, the same Times of India report mentions rumors of a daughter named Amaya (born circa 2018) but clearly states that those claims are unverified and not supported by any official records.
Lindsey Halligan Net Worth
As of 2026, Lindsey Halligan’s net worth is estimated to be between $1.5 million and $2 million. This range comes from online sources and has not been confirmed by major business publications. Halligan has earned her income through her legal career: she became a partner at the insurance law firm Cole, Scott & Kissane and later worked on former President Donald Trump’s legal team and in the Justice Department. Her wealth thus comes primarily from her work as an attorney and government official.
