Lindsey Halligan, a White House aide and longtime personal attorney to President Donald Trump, has officially taken over as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, replacing Erik Siebert after he was forced out amid internal resistance to indict one of Trump’s chief political adversaries: New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Halligan’s surprise elevation to lead the pivotal prosecutorial office comes as top Trump allies sharpen their attacks on James, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt accusing her Monday of turning the justice system into a political weapon.