Trump's newly appointed U.S. attorney presented Comey case to grand jury on her own, source says

Newly appointed acting U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan presented the case to secure the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey on her own, according to a source familiar with the grand jury proceedings in Alexandria, Virginia, on Thursday

Newly appointed acting U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan presented the case to secure the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey on her own, according to a source familiar with the grand jury proceedings in Alexandria, Virginia, on Thursday.

Tapped for the acting role just three days earlier, Halligan's action came after a senior Justice Department official told NBC News that career prosecutors in Halligan's office sent her a memo documenting why they believed probable cause did not exist to secure an indictment against Comey.

The appointment of Halligan, who was on President Donald Trump's defense team in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case prior to his election to a second term, followed the resignation of acting U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert last Friday after pressure grew from the White House to prosecute Comey.

Time was of the essence in bringing an indictment: A five-year statute of limitations on the charges against the former FBI director was set to expire early next week.

Halligan and the Department of Justice did not immediately respond to NBC News' requests for comment.