Virginia’s Democratic Governor, Abigail Spanberger, took credit for billions in economic achievements secured under her GOP predecessor, earning her backlash from Republican leaders and their representatives running the state before she got there. 

Spanberger touted signing legislation that authorized four separate investments from the aerospace, energy, and pharmaceutical industries earlier this week. The investments, according to a press release from Spanberger’s office, would welcome 3,250 new jobs and $7.1 billion in business investment to the state. 

“From my very first day in office, I have been working to create a stable business environment so companies can hire, expand, and continue to invest in our Commonwealth,” Spanberger said in her press release. “I am signing these bills into law so we can continue to grow Virginia’s economy and create opportunities for Virginians.”

However, Spanberger’s signature was effectively just a formality, as the deals she touted were part of Youngkin’s broader push to spur economic development as governor of Virginia, which included a record of $156 billion in total CEO commitments during his term. As he was exiting office, the former GOP governor garnered more than the previous six gubernatorial administrations combined,  according to a press release from Youngkin’s team.

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“She’s trying to take credit for somebody else’s work,” former Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares told Fox News Digital. “In grade school we call that cheating.”

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger delivers the Democratic response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on February 24, 2026 in Williamsburg, Virginia. Spanberger is serving in her first year as governor and is the first woman to hold the position in the Commonwealth of Virginia. (Mike Kropf/Getty Images)

“The last three months have been nothing but horrible news for Virginians as Abigail Spanberger broke every single promise she made on the campaign trail and now has the lowest approval rating of any Virginia governor this century,” added Youngkin spokesperson Justin Discigil. “Governor Youngkin is happy that Virginians are being reminded of some good news, even if it means Gov. Spanberger taking credit for the economic deals he secured for the Commonwealth.”

Spanberger did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment on the matter. 

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The four bills she signed, which with her signature authorized the awards, were announced during Youngkin’s term as governor. 

The first, HB 1531, allocates $537 million to aerospace company Avio USA and is expected to create over 1,500 jobs. The award, according to public reports at the time, was announced in December 2025. The next bill, HB 799, will allocate $457 million and is expected to create over 825 jobs. This award was announced by Youngkin in September 2025. HB 800, allocating over $2 billion to pharmacuetical manufacturer Eli Lilly and expected to create more than 450 jobs to manufacture the active ingredient in major cancer, autoimmune and other advanced drugs, was announced in September 2025 as well. Meanwhile, rounding out the handful of investments touted by Spanberger this week was HB 1076, which invested $4 billion into pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and is expected to create around 500 jobs. That commitment was announced in October 2025.

Abigail Spanberger takes part in the key exchange with departing Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin before inaugural ceremonies at the Capitol in Richmond Va., on Saturday Jan. 17, 2026.  (Steve Helber/AP)

“Attracting new businesses and jobs to Virginia is a core focus of my administration — and I’m proud of the hundreds of millions of dollars in investment we have already announced this year,” Spanberger continued in her press release this week announcing the Virginia investments. “I look forward to continuing to work with legislators, local communities, and business leaders as we make clear that Virginia is the top state in the nation to grow or start a business.”

In a background section of the press release, the announcement continues touting Spanberger’s commitment to growing Virginia’s economy.

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“My simple message for Abigail Spanberger is, to quote Elizabeth Warren, ‘You didn’t build that!’” Sean Kennedy, president of Virginians for Safe Communities, said. “Spanberger has to take credit for her Republican predecessor’s accomplishments bringing jobs to Virginia because her policies are actually raising taxes, killing jobs, and hiking energy costs. Spanberger has to play make believe that she is delivering on her affordability agenda to impress the 2028 Democratic Party kingmakers. I expect that Spanberger will nevertheless persist in her false claims.”

Critics of Spanberger have questioned the moderate campaign message she campaigned on, as well as her economic strategy, which has included ushering in new taxes in the state despite campaigning on a message of affordability.

“Abigail Spanberger’s first 100 days in office have been a disaster when it comes to economic development, argued Miyares, who lost to current Democratic Attorney General Jay Jones in November. Jones infamously called for the murder of his GOP rival, something that ultimately did not matter enough for voters as he and Spanberger came out victorious in November. 

“Three pillars of a good business environment is a good tax environment, a good regulatory environment and an environment that – from a litigation perspective – is not anti-business. Spanberger has already indicated and done a rash of bills that will make Virginia less competitive. Virginia does not compete by itself, we compete with 49 other sates, and Spanberger seems hellbent to hurt us with her tax, regulatory and litigation.” 

Miyares added that he was aware of multiple Virginia businesses that former Governor Youngkin had recruited and were thinking about expanding in Virginia, but will no longer do so as a result of Spanberger’s policies. 

He also pointed out that Spanberger “does not believe in energy abundance” despite touting energy infrastructure investments this week. “I find it in some ways laughable and pathetic what she is attempting to do,” Miyares said.

Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones (left) defeated former Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares in November. Jones won alongside Spanberger who beat out former Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears.  (Mike Kropf/Richmond Times-Dispatch via pool)

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“Abigail Spanberger inherited a $2.7 billion surplus and benefitted from hundreds of thousands of new jobs created under Republican leadership,” the Virginia GOP added in February, in response to headlines about rising Virginia unemployment numbers. “Her and her Democrat allies are squandering it all in a matter of weeks while breaking every promise they made on ‘affordability.’”

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger was swept into the governor’s mansion on a deep blue wave last November, but has seen her popularity plummet after less than 3 months in office.

Forty-six percent of Virginians disapprove of her job performance, while 47% approve. Compared to Virginia governors from both sides of the aisle since 1994, Spanberger has the highest disapproval rating at this point in her term.

In contrast, predecessor Gov. Glenn Youngkin saw a 54-39 job approval at this point in his term, with the highest favorability going to Democrat Mark Warner – now Virginia’s senior senator – with a 78-20 rating.

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Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger responds to President Donald Trump’s, unseen, State of the Union. (Steve Helber/Reuters)

Warner’s current counterpart, Sen. Tim Kaine, was at 62-31, GOP Gov. Jim Gilmore III at 63-30, Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell at 59-39 and Democrats Terry McAuliffe and Ralph Northam at 52-30 and 48-37 respectively.

RNC SUES TO STOP DEMOCRATS’ VIRGINIA REDISTRICTING PUSH

Spanberger defeated then-Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears by 15 points in November and completely flipped statewide offices to Democrats Ghazala Hashmi for lieutenant governor and Jay Jones for attorney general.

The Post pointed out that while Spanberger’s favorability was narrow, her win dwarfed that of Youngkin’s over McAuliffe in 2021 – and the Falls Church business executive’s favorability was several points higher than hers.

George Mason University Policy & Government Dean Mark Rozell, a co-sponsor of the poll, told the Post that while some bit of political polarization is “baked in,” it was “unusual” to see such a result for Spanberger this early in her term after a campaign on a “centrist image.”

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Seven percent of Virginians, however, by contrast, cite her tenure as “too conservative.”

Spanberger’s shift on gerrymandering was recently evinced through redistricting referendum critics citing her own 2019 words back to her in recent mailers, according to reports.

“Gerrymandering is detrimental to our democracy and it weakens the individual voices that form our electorates. Opposing gerrymandering should be a bipartisan priority,” Spanberger tweeted six years ago when Virginia considered its ultimately successful bid to remove map-redrawing power from the partisan legislature.

INSURGENT VIRGINIA DEMOCRAT SAYS HIS PARTY IS ‘COMPLETELY WRONG’ ON GUN RIGHTS AND GERRYMANDERING

However, Spanberger’s office recently denied claims that there had been any internal deals made involving her personally to help get more Democrats elected, particularly in the case of the Second Congressional District in Hampton Roads and the Eastern Shore.

Spanberger has also received criticism for appearing to pivot on gun control, from a moderate stance while in Congress favoring commonsense reforms and citing her resume as a former gun-toting CIA agent and postal inspector, to a governor poised to sign sweeping gun bans drafted by far-left Fairfax Democrats.

“I’m a mother of three girls in Virginia Public Schools. I’m also a former federal agent who carried a gun every single day for my job,” she said at a 2025 rally. “So I come at this issue as someone who cares deeply about the safety of our kids and as someone who understands the responsibilities of owning and of carrying a firearm.”

A welcome sign is posted in the grass near the intersection of Lee Highway, Key Bridge, and the George Washington Memorial Parkway in Rosslyn, Arlington County, Virginia. (Universal Images Group/Getty Images)

The redistricting referendum has been criticized for unfairly empowering Spanberger’s base counties, as five newly-drawn districts would originate in Fairfax and envelop – and critics say overpower – the voices of rural central and Western Virginia.

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One such district in particular, unfavorably shaped like a lobster according to critics, already has three notable Democratic candidates – gun control bill sponsor State Del. Dan Helmer of Fairfax, former first lady Dorothy McAuliffe, and former Jack Smith deputy JP Cooney – despite the referendum not being officially decided by the voters until April 21.

Fox News Digital reached out to Spanberger for comment.

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., is calling on prosecutors to try, convict and punish the undocumented killer of Stephanie Minter, arguing that he must face American justice before he’s ordered to leave the country.

Kaine said he fears deportation could be a form of leniency.

“I’m not sure that if he’s deported, [that] he will really face the punishment that he should face. If you do a deportation now, what’s the guarantee he would really face severe consequences for what he’s done?” Kaine said.

“I think he should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and then possibly deported after that, but I wouldn’t want him to escape accountability for the crime.”

TRUMP ADMIN ASKS SPANBERGER, VIRGINIA OFFICIALS NOT RELEASE ILLEGAL CHARGED WITH GROPING HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., speaks to reporters as he walks into the Senate Chamber on Dec. 11, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Authorities are charging Abdul Jalloh, a 32-year-old Sierra Leone native, with the murder of Stephanie Minter after authorities found her dead at a bus stop in Fairfax, Virginia last month.

Jalloh had already been arrested more than 30 times before his fatal confrontation with Minter, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Among others, his previous charges included rape, malicious wounding, assault, drug possession, identity theft, trespassing and more.

Local authorities dropped previous charges against Jalloh, allowing him to walk free.

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Kaine believes this time should be different.

“I think he should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and then possibly deported after that,” Kaine said.

Abdul Jalloh, 32, is accused of killing Stephanie Minter, 41, at a Virginia bus stop.  (Fox 5 DC)

Jalloh has been charged with second-degree murder.

Even as questions remain about why Virginia authorities let Jalloh go, Kaine, who served as governor of Virginia from 2006 to 2010, posited that ICE may have failed to follow through on requests to detain Jalloh ahead of Minter’s murder.

“My experience when I was governor — and this is now 15 or 20 years ago — is that we would normally let ICE know before we let anybody out of prison in Virginia, and then they wouldn’t show up,” Kaine said.

VIRGINIA PROSECUTOR’S RECORD ON VIOLENT OFFENDERS SCRUTINIZED AFTER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHARGED IN MOM’S MURDER

Senator Tim Kaine, D-Va., speaks during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing in Washington, D.C. on March 13, 2025.  (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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“We would give them two-weeks notice [and say] ‘Hey, here’s somebody who’s here, come pick them up,’ and they wouldn’t show up. That was more my experience.”

Fox Digital reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment.

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger flatly denied any deal was made in crafting the new boundaries of the Second Congressional District on the Eastern Shore and Virginia Beach after former Rep. Elaine Luria was followed out of an event by an individual demanding answers.

Luria, a Democrat who previously represented the Second District, is challenging Rep. Jennifer Kiggans, R-Va., in a race considered “Even” under the current map but that would skew Democratic under newly drawn boundaries that pull in heavily liberal Newport News and the city of Franklin while carving out more moderate parts of Chesapeake.

An individual filmed Luria this week as she left an evening event in Hampton Roads and asked twice: “Did you make a backroom deal with your best friend Abigail Spanberger to redraw the district?”

Luria ignored the man, but the video spread on social media as observers raised questions, given the tone of the redistricting effort led by Senate President L. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth.

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Then-Rep. Elaine Luria sits on a dais in Congress. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Luria’s campaign formally declined comment and Spanberger’s camp flatly denied the allegation.

“There was no deal,” Spanberger’s top spokeswoman Libby Wiet told Fox News Digital.

Meanwhile, Kiggans campaign spokesman Joe Link said the clip of the confrontation “speaks for itself.”

“Virginians should keep this in mind when they vote on April 21,” Link told Fox News Digital, referring to the date of the special election on the Democrats’ redistricting amendment.

5 VIRGINIA CONGRESSMEN: DEMOCRATS ARE REJECTING VOTERS TO GERRYMANDER OUR STATE

Lucas did not respond to a request for comment but has been vocal online about the redistricting effort, mocking opponents like former Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., and swearing at Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, by telling him she is “f—ing finish[ing]” what he purportedly started.

In January, Lucas took aim at Kiggans, suggesting she is intentionally trying to push her out of office. The 82-year-old progressive posted an image of Kiggans wearing a McDonald’s uniform and asking if a customer “want[s] fries with that.”

Virginia Senate President Pro Tempore L. Louise Lucas fired back at Sen. Ted Cruz over his criticism of Virginia’s redistricting push, saying “You all started it and we f–king finished it.” (Minh Connors/The Washington Post/Nathan Posner/Anadolu/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, across the commonwealth, Republicans continue expressing outrage at the new map being put to voters as “restor[ing] fairness” on April 21, with the Prince William County GOP posting an image of their exurban county “sliced” into five pieces next to an image of deli salami.

Prince William, Arlington and Fairfax counties appear to be anchors for most of Virginia’s congressional districts, which critics say will suppress, if not dilute, the reported 45% of the population that votes Republican or lives in rural areas.

In Rockingham County, which surrounds Harrisonburg and sits in the Shenandoah Valley and is currently represented in whole by GOP Rep. Ben Cline of Botetourt, Fairfax-based Del. Dan Helmer was pictured campaigning for the newly drawn 7th District, according to the local GOP.

Helmer dismissed claims he also helped draw his own district, saying he is doing what Democratic leaders assigned him to do in “electing a Democratic majority” in his caucus role, according to the Virginia Mercury.

Del. Joe McNamara, R-Cave Spring, told the outlet he still believes Helmer “craft[ed] maps for his benefit, and he’s just the next one.”

“My role was electing a Democratic majority two years ago so we could fight back against what Trump is doing and reelect it this year,” Helmer told the Mercury in response. Helmer, who authored the state’s new sweeping gun ban, has two previously unsuccessful congressional bids under recent maps.

The Rockingham County GOP took issue with his previous campaign pledge to be a “voice for Fairfax,” hinting, as in Kiggans’ district, that Democrats are intentionally drawing seats for themselves.

THIS CRUCIAL STATE IS THE LATEST BATTLEGROUND IN REDISTRICTING WAR BETWEEN TRUMP AND DEMOCRATS

“They have no shame,” the party said in captioning a photo of Helmer campaigning locally.

Former first lady Dorothy McAuliffe, who also does not live in the majority-rural confines of the newly drawn “lobster-shaped” district, is also running for the seat.

JP Cooney, a prosecutor who worked under much-maligned special counsel Jack Smith, is the third Democrat to seek the newly drawn district, further increasing Republicans’ ire at the process.

Earlier this week, Rep. Donald Beyer, an Alexandria Democrat, admitted that his party’s redistricting effort is aimed squarely at rebuking President Donald Trump.

That comment led to outrage on the right, including from Virginia House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore.

Kilgore, of Gate City in Scott County along the Tennessee line, represents one of the few areas rendered safe under the new map – if not simply because the aforementioned 45% of Republicans had to be collected somewhere.

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“This is manifestly unfair for the Commonwealth of Virginia. We’re a 51-49 state, not a 90-10 state. If they’re willing to silence nearly half of the Commonwealth’s voters in the name of ‘fairness’ what else are they willing to do?” Kilgore told Fox News Digital.

His area is represented by Rep. Morgan Griffith, a Republican who collects a swath of mountainous communities from Galax, Martinsville and Independence in the east to Cumberland Gap, Wise and coal-filled Grundy in the west.

A professional cornhole player and quadruple amputee is facing murder charges after allegedly gunning down a man in Maryland this week. 

27-year-old Dayton Webber, of La Plata, allegedly shot and killed a passenger in his vehicle following an argument on the evening of Sunday, March 22, according to the Charles County Sheriff’s Office. 

Two individuals flagged down La Plata police officers around 10:25 p.m., telling officers they were passengers riding in the backseat of Webber’s vehicle, authorities said. 

The witnesses said Webber fatally shot the front-seat passenger, identified as 27-year-old Bradrick Michael Wells, twice in the head during an argument, according to court documents obtained by FOX 5. 

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Dayton Webber is charged with first-degree murder, along with additional related charges, after he allegedly shot and killed a passenger in his car in La Plata, Maryland on Sunday, March 22, 2026, according to the Charles County Sheriff’s Office. (Charles County Sheriff’s Office)

A preliminary investigation revealed Webber allegedly pulled the vehicle over and asked the passengers to help remove Wells from the vehicle, but the group of friends “refused, got out of the car, and left the scene,” according to authorities.

Webber then fled the area with Wells still in the car, authorities said. 

Officers began canvassing various locations in an attempt to locate Webber. 

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Dayton Webber runs to steal third base at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California on Sunday, Aug. 21, 2016. (Kevin Sullivan/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty Images)

Approximately two hours later, a Charlotte Hall resident called 911 to report a body in a yard, according to authorities.

Officers responded and located Wells, who was pronounced dead at the scene. 

Webber’s vehicle was later found roughly two and a half hours away in Charlottesville, Virginia, authorities said.

Detectives subsequently located Webber seeking medical treatment at a nearby hospital and Albemarle County officers placed him under arrest following his release from care. 

SLAIN LOYOLA CHICAGO STUDENT’S FAMILY FUMES OVER ‘MURDER,’ MANHUNT FOR MASKED GUNMAN IN ATTACK NEAR CAMPUS

Dayton Webber steals third base at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California on Sunday, August. 21, 2016.  (Kevin Sullivan/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty Images)

Following his extradition to Charles County, Webber is expected to be charged with first-degree murder, along with additional related charges, authorities said.

Officials have not yet elaborated on how Webber was able to operate a vehicle or fire a weapon. 

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​​”It’s early in the investigation, but there’s no evidence to suggest anyone else was involved in the shooting and that he acted alone,” Diane Richardson of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement, according to FOX 5.

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Both of Webber’s arms and legs were removed when he was just 10 months old after he contracted a bacterial infection that only had a 3% chance of survival, according to a 2024 ESPN video profile. 

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He previously made headlines as a professional athlete for the American Cornhole League, where he was referred to as “an unstoppable cornhole player” in a 2023 video posted to the league’s YouTube channel.

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“That’s one of the great things about our sport, how accessible it is, and how we like to say anyone can play, anyone can win, because if you want to put your mind to it, you want to put the time into practice, you can become competitive,” ACL commissioner Stacey Moore told Fox News Digital earlier this month. 

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The Charles County Sheriff’s Office and Webber’s attorney did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

A professional cornhole player and quadruple amputee has been arrested for allegedly shooting and killing another man during an argument on Sunday in Maryland.

Police say 27-year-old Dayton James Webber was in his Tesla SUV when he shot and killed his passenger, 27-year-old Bradrick Michael Wells, during an argument in La Plata.

Webber allegedly pulled over and asked two backseat passengers to help him remove Wells from the car, but they refused and fled before calling police. All occupants of the car were known to each other, according to the Charles County Sheriff’s Office. 

Authorities say Webber fled the scene with Wells still in his car. The body was later found in a yard on Newport Church Road in Charlotte Hall, Maryland.

While Wells was pronounced dead at the scene, Webber was ultimately located by police at a hospital in Charlottesville, Virginia and is now awaiting extradition to Charles County, Maryland on first- and second-degree murder charges.

Police have yet to explain how Webber, who has no limbs, was able to fire his weapon or ditch the body. There are online videos purportedly showing Webber using a handgun. 

Maryland police say 27-year-old Dayton James Webber (pictured) was in his Tesla SUV when he shot and killed his passenger, 27-year-old Bradrick Michael Wells, in La Plata

Dayton Webber is an avid outdoorsman, in addition to being a professional cornhole player 

Dayton Webber, 27, is able to compete in cornhole by holding the bag between his arms

Webber was diagnosed with a bacterial infection as a child that ultimately led to sepsis 

‘It’s early in the investigation, but there’s no evidence to suggest anyone else was involved in the shooting and that he acted alone,’ Charles County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Diane Richardson said, as quoted by Fox5DC.com.

Webber reportedly became a quadruple amputee as a baby due to a blood infection that ultimately led to sepsis. 

‘They suggested he be baptized and given his last rights,’ Webber’s mother, Natalie, told ESPN in 2023. ‘That just didn’t enter my thoughts that I was going to lose him.’

Ultimately, his arms were amputated just above the elbow, giving him the ability to pin objects between his upper arms. It’s this trait that allowed him to become a competitive cornhole player, ultimately joining the American Cornhole League in 2023.

Dayton Webber, 27, has been the subject of several ESPN profiles following his amputations

Dayton Webber, now 27, said his passion for cornhole began when he was about 8

‘At first, it took me a little while to get it there to the board consistently,’ he told ESPN of his cornhole obsession, which began at age 8. ‘I was able to compensate the grip on the bag by just grabbing the corner of it with me propelling myself forward.

‘It’s something I’ve been doing my whole life, is overcoming things that people didn’t think I can do.’   

Interestingly, this was the second piece ESPN did on Webber. As a 12-year-old wrestler in Maryland, he was featured in an ESPN.com article. 

‘I like wrestling better than any other sport,’ he told ESPN.com. ‘I like using my strength and being fit. And I don’t have to rely on other people to do stuff for me like you do in football. Sometimes when I watch my teammates in certain situations I wish I had hands, but I just try to do things my own way.’

The American Cornhole League has released a statement in response to the arrest. 

‘The ACL is aware of the reports regarding allegations involving Dayton Webber,’ the statement began. ‘This is an extremely serious matter and our thoughts are with all those impacted, including the family and loved ones of Bradrick Michael Wells.

‘At this time, this remains an active legal situation. We respect the judicial process and will not comment on specific allegations or details while proceedings are ongoing.’ 

A lawyer picked by judges to serve as the top federal prosecutor for a Virginia office that pursued cases against foes of President Donald Trump was swiftly fired Friday by the Justice Department in the latest clash over the appointments of powerful US attorneys.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the firing of James Hundley on social media shortly after he was unanimously chosen by judges to replace former Trump lawyer Lindsey Halligan as interim US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.

While the law says that the district court may choose US attorneys when an initial appointment expires, the Trump administration has insisted that the power lies only in the hands of the executive branch.

“EDVA judges do not pick our US Attorney. POTUS does. James Hundley, you’re fired!” Blanche said in a post on X.

Hundley, who has handled criminal and civil cases for more than 30 years, didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment Friday evening.

The firing of Hundley is the latest reflection of tumult in one of the Justice Department’s most elite prosecution offices, which since September has been mired in upheaval following the resignation of a veteran prosecutor amid Trump administration pressure to prosecute two of the president’s biggest political foes, former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

That prosecutor, Erik Siebert, was effectively forced out and swiftly replaced by Halligan, a White House aide who secured indictments against Comey and James but was later deemed by a judge to have been unlawfully appointed.

The cases were dismissed, but the Justice Department has appealed that decision.

Halligan resigned from the position last month after judges in the district signaled continued skepticism over the legitimacy of her appointment.

US attorneys, the top federal prosecutors in regional Justice Department offices around the country, typically require Senate confirmation but the law does permit attorneys general to make temporary appointments for limited time periods.

In several instances, though, the Justice Department has attempted to leave its temporary appointees in place in ways that have invited court challenges and drawn resistance from judges who have found the appointments unlawful.

Last week, a lawyer appointed by judges to be the US attorney for northern New York was fired by the Justice Department after spending less than a day in the job.

Judges in the district appointed Kinsella after declining to keep the Trump administration’s pick, John Sarcone, in place after his 120-day term elapsed.