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The Florida Bar says it is not investigating controversial former U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan, despite the association writing to the contrary in a letter last month, though the bar said it is monitoring the case.

In a Feb. 4 letter about Halligan to the nonprofit organization Campaign for Accountability (CfA), The Florida Bar wrote, “We already have an investigation pending,” according to a copy of the letter CfA published on March 5.

But on March 6, The Florida Bar walked back the statement, saying it had been written “erroneously.”

“In response to an inquiry from a complainant, The Florida Bar wrote a letter to the complainant erroneously stating that there is a pending Bar investigation of member Lindsay (sic) Halligan. There is no such pending Bar investigation,” Jennifer Krell Davis, communications director for The Florida Bar, wrote in a statement to USA TODAY.

The Feb. 4 letter was sent in response to a complaint that CfA filed to Florida and Virginia’s bar associations.

“We are aware of these developments and have been monitoring them closely,” the letter added. Halligan appeared to have been copied on the letter, suggesting that it was sent to her as well.

The complaint asked the Florida and Virginia bars to investigate whether Halligan’s stint as U.S. attorney had violated the associations’ codes of conduct.

“In this case, The Florida Bar received a complaint against Lindsay Halligan and, consistent with standard practice, the Bar is monitoring the ongoing legal proceedings underlying the complaint,” Davis said.

CfA Executive Director Michelle Kuppersmith said in a statement: “CfA has not heard directly from the Florida Bar, but it’s hard to reconcile this latest statement with the bar counsel’s previous letter saying there is an investigation pending. If there is no longer an investigation into Halligan, the question is why not, given that three judges indicated she engaged in conduct that appears to violate ethics rules.”

Halligan, a former personal lawyer to President Donald Trump, left the U.S. Attorney’s Office in January after a federal judge said she was unlawfully appointed to the role four months earlier.

During her stint, Halligan brought charges against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, which were later dismissed.

USA TODAY has reached out to Halligan and Department of Justice for comment.

Who is Lindsey Halligan?

In September 2025, Attorney General Pam Bondi named Halligan to lead the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia after the previous head, Erik Siebert, departed.

Siebert reportedly expressed skepticism about bringing charges against Comey or James, and told colleagues in an email that he had resigned. Trump later said in a social media post that he fired Siebert.

Hours after that post, Bondi issued an order authorizing Halligan to be the interim head of the office. Before that, Halligan had never been a prosecutor.

Within weeks of the appointment, Halligan’s office secured indictments against both Comey and James. The charges were later dismissed.

Why Lindsey Halligan’s role as US attorney was challenged

Two months after Halligan’s office announced the indictments against Comey and James, the charges were dismissed when a judge ruled Halligan was unlawfully appointed to her role.

Senior U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie wrote in an opinion that only a district court had the power to appoint a new head to the Eastern District of Virginia. Because Halligan was not lawfully appointed, Currie said, her actions as prosecutor − including securing the charges against Comey and James − must be set aside. The Department of Justice appealed the ruling.

In a separate case, on Jan. 6, U.S. District Judge David Novak (Eastern District of Virginia) ordered Halligan to explain why she identified herself as a U.S. attorney, given the earlier ruling. The DOJ, in response, accused Novak of exceeding his authority.

Then, in a Jan. 20 ruling, Novak threatened disciplinary proceedings against Halligan if she continued to use the U.S. attorney title. The following day, Bondi announced Halligan’s departure from the role.

Contributing: James Powel, USA TODAY

Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com.