Yesterday, the (now former) U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Erik Siebert stepped down after coming under fire because he refused to bring charges against Letitia James.
Now, President Trump has appointed his replacement.
Mary “Maggie” Cleary, a staunchly pro-MAGA attorney, is the new U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia!
Check it out:
“I am humbled to be joining your ranks”
Email sent by Mary Cleary to staff announcing she’s taking over as acting top federal prosecutor in Eastern District of Virginia.
One day after Trump ousted prior prosecutor, amid controversial Admin request to prosecute Tish James
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) September 20, 2025
Cleary was put on leave from her previous role at the DOJ after being framed for rioting at the Capitol on January 6th.
Because of this, she has made it her goal to end “politically weaponized investigations.”
Here’s what we know about her:
JUST IN: Trump Appoints Mary “Maggie” Cleary as Acting U.S. Attorney in Virginia After Firing Erik Siebert for Refusing to Charge NY AG Letitia James, Who Prosecuted Trump
President Trump has appointed Mary “Maggie” Cleary as Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of… pic.twitter.com/pRQbtLtrsh
— Simon Ateba (@simonateba) September 20, 2025
JUST IN: Trump Appoints Mary “Maggie” Cleary as Acting U.S. Attorney in Virginia After Firing Erik Siebert for Refusing to Charge NY AG Letitia James, Who Prosecuted Trump
President Trump has appointed Mary “Maggie” Cleary as Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia following the departure of Erik Siebert.
News outlets report that Siebert resisted pressure from Trump to bring charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James, leading to his resignation. But Trump quickly reframed it in his own words. Yesterday he posted:
“Today I withdrew the Nomination of Erik Siebert as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, when I was informed that he received the UNUSUALLY STRONG support of the two absolutely terrible, sleazebag Democrat Senators, from the Great State of Virginia. He didn’t quit, I fired him! Next time let him go in as a Democrat, not a Republican. Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! President DJT”
Cleary, a conservative attorney and UVA Law faculty member, has long ties to Republican politics. She was previously cleared of allegations that she was present at the Capitol on January 6 and has spoken about using her position to fight what she calls “politically weaponized investigations.
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It’s easy to see why President Trump chose her…
If anyone is guilty of weaponizing the justice system, it’s Letitia James — the woman who prosecuted President Trump for mortgage fraud, despite there being tons of evidence that she committed the very same thing!
Politico has more on Cleary’s background:
Cleary has served as an assistant U.S. attorney and once claimed she was “framed” for being at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, leading to a brief internal investigation and placement on administrative leave before she was cleared.
Cleary wrote in May that the experience of being falsely accused led her to apply to become U.S. attorney in Virginia with a plan to “end politically weaponized investigations.”
“In the last four years, I’ve been somewhat cautious about sharing my experience, but now, while Donald Trump is president, I feel emboldened to finally tell how I, too, was targeted politically,” Cleary wrote.
Cleary’s ascension, which was announced within the Justice Department on Saturday afternoon, comes amid controversy over Siebert’s departure. ABC News first reported that Siebert had been resisting pressure to criminally charge New York Attorney General Letitia James — a longtime Trump adversary — with mortgage fraud. POLITICO has not independently confirmed the contours of the James investigation.
Although it was reported yesterday that Siebert had resigned after being given the option to either willingly step down or be fired, President Trump has since said the opposite.
In a post on Truth Social, President Trump clarified, “He didn’t quit, I fired him!”
Read here:
Today I withdrew the Nomination of Erik Siebert as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, when I was informed that he received the UNUSUALLY STRONG support of the two absolutely terrible, sleazebag Democrat Senators, from the Great State of Virginia. He didn’t quit, I fired him! Next time let him go in as a Democrat, not a Republican. Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! President DJT
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