Federal prosecutor fired over Comey indictment has strong Kentucky ties
A Kentucky attorney is making national news this week due to his firing over a disagreement on how to handle the Trump administration’s push to re-indict James Comey, the former director of the FBI with whom the president has long feuded.
Robert McBride was recently dismissed from his role as top deputy to U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Lindsey Halligan. Reports from MS Now and the New York Times published Monday indicate the firing was related to how the office wanted to pursue the indictment of Comey for allegedly lying to Congress, but the outlets’ sources differ over exactly why.
The outlets cite multiple sources claiming Department of Justice officials were unsatisfied with McBride’s reluctance to take on the prosecution. Another single source in both stories claims McBride was undermining Halligan and held meetings with judges without her knowledge.
Comey drew the ire of Trump when he investigated Trump’s 2016 campaign over allegations of Russian interference in that presidential election. Trump fired Comey in 2017, and the former FBI director has been highly critical of Trump in the ensuing years, riling up the president with social media posts.
Halligan, formerly Trump’s personal attorney, hit a roadblock in her first attempt to prosecute Comey when a judge ruled that she was unlawfully appointed. Her predecessor was fired by Trump after he refused to bring cases against Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
McBride is well-regarded by his peers in Kentucky, according to two high-profile defense attorneys.
Kent Wicker, a former federal prosecutor himself and longtime defense attorney in Kentucky, called McBride “professional and honorable.” He told the Herald-Leader he had worked a couple defense cases when McBride was a federal prosecutor in the Eastern District of Kentucky.
“He’s an honorable, trustworthy guy — not a politician. I would have confidence in the kinds of prosecutorial decisions that he made,” Wicker said. “I don’t know anything about this situation, but, I’m not surprised if he was discharged because he wouldn’t go along with an unethical decision.”
Guthrie True, a Frankfort attorney who’s defended several high-profile Kentuckians, said his impression of McBride is solid.
“I am unaware of him having anything but a good reputation,” True said. “What I know about Bob, I would think he’d be the kind of guy who would not be interested in prosecuting Comey.”
Prior to taking his post in Virginia, McBride was partner-in-charge at the Kentucky office of Taft Stettinius & Hollister. He is a member of the Federalist Society, the nation’s leading conservative legal organization.
According to his biography on the Federalist Society’s website, McBride was Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Kentucky for more than 15 years before entering the private sector. He is also a United States Navy veteran, serving in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps for 10 years.
