Legal AF by MeidasTouch

Episode: Judge Catches Trump in Cover-Up that can Take Entire DOJ Down

Date: November 18, 2025
Hosts: Michael Popok (main speaker in this episode), Ben Meiselas, Karen Friedman Agnifilo

Episode Overview

In this episode, Legal AF’s Michael Popok unpacks a dramatic federal court development threatening to unravel a DOJ prosecution from the Trump era. The show focuses on Magistrate Judge Fitzpatrick’s explosive ruling in a case involving former FBI Director James Comey and legal challenges led by Trump-aligned prosecutors Pam Bondi and Lindsey Halligan. A “cover-up” is alleged, casting serious doubt on the legitimacy of the grand jury process, the handling of attorney-client privilege, and raising the specter of perjury or false filings by the prosecution. The unraveling events could result in the dismissal of high-profile indictments and wider fallout inside the Department of Justice.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Judge Fitzpatrick’s “Bombshell” Memorandum

• Main finding: Judge Fitzpatrick rules the prosecution mishandled grand jury proceedings, including possible false statements to two separate judges.
• Significance: The opinion identifies multiple constitutional violations, including:
  • Breaches of attorney-client privilege involving James Comey
  • Mishandling of grand jury materials and indictments
  • Potential perjury or false affidavits by federal prosecutors

Quote:
"It’s not just that, it’s that the judge also has effectively found that an affidavit that was filed in one case...means she’s either lying to Judge Curry...or she’s lying to Magistrate Judge Fitzpatrick in his case."
— Michael Popok [00:45]

2. The Mystery of the Missing Grand Jury Minutes & Conflicting Affidavits

• Background: Judge Curry, sitting by designation, raised alarm over two hours missing from grand jury transcripts in Comey’s case.
• Prosecutor Lindsey Halligan filed a new affidavit claiming the missing time was purely for jury deliberation, insisting "there are no missing minutes" and she was never alone with the grand jury.
• Judge Fitzpatrick’s new opinion directly contradicts Halligan—suggests either perjury or false filings have occurred.

Quote:
"She tried to answer the question. She didn’t like when the judge said there was two hours missing of grand jury transcripts... Lindsey Halligan files this declaration which then kills her with Judge Fitzpatrick."
— Michael Popok [05:29]

• Timeline problem: Indictments weren’t returned until hours after Halligan claimed to have left the jury, yet procedural records show multiple, inconsistent indictments, with no clear explanation of how information was transmitted.
• Crucial gap: Judge Fitzpatrick observes that the defense must be given the grand jury materials because "the transcript and audio recordings...do not reflect any further communications after the grand jury began deliberating," which leads to suspicion of improper contact or cover-up.

Quote:
"If no government official was ever with the grand jury, how did they learn about the fact that there were two indictments and one of them was wrong? Big problem."
— Michael Popok [13:54]

3. Fundamental Prosecutorial Errors and Potential Dismissal

• Lindsey Halligan is accused of making “cardinal sins” in front of the grand jury:
  • Suggesting Comey would be penalized for not testifying, flipping the Fifth Amendment.
  • Incorrectly shifting the burden of proof away from the prosecution to the defense.
• Legacy: Serious enough, Popok says, for any defense lawyer to file for dismissal of the indictment given the violation of constitutional rights.
• Broader implications: The same legal violations may apply to Letitia James’s case, signaling possible collapse of parallel prosecutions.

Quote:
"She left the impression with the grand jury that James Comey had to testify on his own defense...she flipped it to suggest that he had to prove that the government’s evidence was somehow not enough. That’s just ridiculous. Novice prosecutor amateur hour."
— Michael Popok [04:45]

4. Chain Reaction of Official Cover-Ups & Calls for Accountability

• Halligan’s affidavit is contradicted by missing information and by a recently fired first assistant U.S. attorney, Maggie Cleary, whose knowledge of grand jury deliberations is unexplained.
• Judge Fitzpatrick points out the unexplained nature of Cleary’s knowledge and notes the firing may amount to another layer of cover-up.
• Judge orders all grand jury materials be turned over to the defense, severely undermining the prosecution.
• Popok predicts Halligan will not survive in her position and expects Judge Curry to dismiss her as prosecutor.

Quote:
"Somebody’s lying and it’s likely Lindsey Halligan and Pam Bondi. Somebody lied to either Judge Curry or Judge Fitzpatrick."
— Michael Popok [14:23]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the gravity of the procedural failures:
  "Leave it to Lindsey Halligan and Pam Bondi to prepare a document in one case that kills them in another case. Does that surprise anybody?" — Michael Popok [03:42]

• On the collapse of the prosecution:
  "Bombshell News. The indictment is on...barely on life support against Comey, likely Letitia James, too. And Halligan, she should resign because she’s gonna get canned by Judge Curry. I have no doubt about that."
  — Michael Popok [15:18]

• On the need for accountability:
  "I think they should call Maggie Cleary and by the way, to be examined by the judge...Where is Maggie Cleary? That’s the other issue."
  — Michael Popok [13:35]

Key Timestamps

• 00:45 — Popok opens discussion on Judge Fitzpatrick’s findings and the conflict between affidavits.
• 03:42 — Highlights prosecutorial missteps and the disaster of contradictory filings.
• 04:45 — Details of Halligan’s mishandling of constitutional rights before the grand jury.
• 05:29 — Popok explains the affidavit contradiction and mounting problems.
• 13:35 — Discussion of missing assistant U.S. Attorney Maggie Cleary and implications.
• 14:23 — Popok summarizes the core cover-up issue and likely consequences.
• 15:18 — Prognosis for the indictment: “barely on life support.”

Tone and Style Observations

• Popok is energetic, direct, and often caustically humorous when discussing the DOJ’s missteps ("novice prosecutor amateur hour," "what a tangled web we weave").
• The tone is urgent, with repeated emphasis on the gravity of potential constitutional violations and their real-world stakes.
• Listeners are treated as informed citizens, encouraged to keep tabs on the evolving courtroom drama.

Takeaways for Non-Listeners

This episode serves as a real-time, inside look at a groundbreaking federal court decision that could torpedo politically charged prosecutions connected to the Trump-era DOJ. The hosts break down not just the legal missteps, but the cover-ups and institutional failures revealed by the dueling affidavits and missing records. The upshot: federal misconduct at this level isn’t merely a technicality—it’s a potential game-changer for the fate of Trump-era indictments, DOJ credibility, and the rights of the accused.