The MeidasTouch Podcast: Judge Drops Bombshell Ruling Against Trump in Comey Case

Date: November 17, 2025
Hosts: Ben, Brett, and Jordy Meiselas

Episode Overview

This episode centers on a breaking and unprecedented federal court ruling in the James Comey criminal case, which dealt a devastating blow to Donald Trump and his legal team. The discussion, led primarily by Ben Meiselas, unpacks how U.S. Magistrate Judge Fitzpatrick determined there was likely massive grand jury misconduct in the indictment process against Comey. The episode blends legal analysis, behind-the-scenes context, and brotherly banter, while maintaining The MeidasTouch’s signature passionate and democracy-defending tone.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Bombshell Ruling Exposes Grand Jury Misconduct

[01:01 - 07:50]

• Ben Meiselas details the “catastrophic turn of events” for Donald Trump’s team after Judge Fitzpatrick’s finding of likely grand jury misconduct in Comey’s indictment.
• Lindsey Halligan, Trump’s attorney, is at the epicenter—accused of misleading the grand jury about key legal principles and withholding or omitting grand jury transcripts.
• Judge Fitzpatrick ordered grand jury materials (normally highly confidential) to be turned over to Comey and his legal team—a move described as “extraordinary.”

Quote (Ben Meiselas, 01:20):

“If your name is Lindsey Halligan right now, you need to be very nervous about what just went down... because your bar license and perhaps even more is on the line.”

2. Lindsey Halligan’s Role and Questionable Qualifications

[02:55 - 04:05]

• Halligan’s background: a beauty pageant contestant turned insurance lawyer with no federal prosecution experience.
• Trump personally pushed Halligan, via a social media post, to rush the Comey indictment as the statute of limitations loomed, bypassing experienced Republican federal prosecutors.

Quote (Ben Meiselas, 03:31):

“She was not a trial lawyer… right before the statute of limitations was about to expire... Trump posted that message on social media: ‘Pam Bondi, tell Lindsey Halligan to go bring this indictment against my political enemies’... Lindsey Halligan obliged.”

3. Critical Misstatements of Law Given to the Grand Jury

[05:10 - 08:00]

• Judge Fitzpatrick finds Halligan likely lied to the grand jury about the Fifth Amendment, implying Comey had to testify at trial and wrongly shifting the burden of proof onto Comey.
• The judge also flags Halligan’s implication that more evidence would materialize later, asking the grand jury to trust the prosecution’s process—another serious legal misrepresentation.

Quote (Ben Meiselas, 05:40):

“Did Lindsey Halligan essentially imply ‘we may not have all of the information right now... but the burden is on Comey’? That is absolutely a false statement of the law.”

Quote (Ben Meiselas, 06:35):

“It seems that Lindsey Halligan said, basically all you have to do is believe us that in the future we have better evidence… Just trust us that there’s probable cause in the future. Which is a misstatement of law.”

4. Attorney-Client Privilege Breached in Testimony

[07:55 - 09:30]

• The only FBI witness relied on information possibly protected by attorney-client privilege between Comey and Daniel Richman (his lawyer), violating legal protocols.
• The judge suggests this may have been done “willfully and maliciously.”

Quote (Ben Meiselas, 08:25):

“The nature and circumstances surrounding the disclosure of potentially privileged information established a reasonable basis to question whether the government’s conduct was willful or in reckless disregard of the law.”

5. Unprecedented Disclosure and Potential Case Dismissal

[11:32 - 14:40]

• Judge Fitzpatrick ordered the extraordinarily rare, pre-trial release of all grand jury materials to Comey’s defense—a relief “rarely granted.”
• The judge concluded that Comey’s defense had made a “particularized and factually based showing” of irregularities serious enough to potentially warrant dismissal of the indictment.

Quote (Ben Meiselas, 14:00):

“The court recognizes that the relief sought by defense is rarely granted... the record points to a disturbing pattern of profound investigative missteps… that [may] justify dismissal of one or more counts of the indictment. Signed, Judge Fitzpatrick.”

6. Missing Grand Jury Materials and Procedural Irregularities

[13:08 - 13:45]

• Halligan unorthodoxly presented more than one version of the indictment to the grand jury (first a 3-count, then a 2-count), but records disappear after the first—fueling the judge’s suspicions of “missing grand jury testimony.”

Quote (Ben Meiselas, 13:25):

“The recordings and transcripts stop after the first one. So what happened with the second indictment? Do you get what I’m saying? That’s why the judge says clearly that there is missing grand jury testimony.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Halligan’s Qualifications:
  “She was a beauty pageant contestant turned insurance lawyer… having never been in a grand jury room before.” (03:05)

• On Grand Jury Secrecy and Misuse:
  “In our grand jury system, the judge is not in the room, the defendant is not in the room… It was just Lindsey Halligan… And now we’re seeing this whole proceeding was likely tainted with lies, false instructions about the law, and misconduct.” (15:01)

• Episode Conclusion:
  “Wow, wow, wow. We'll keep you posted every step of the way. But haven’t read a ruling like that. I think of my entire legal career.” (16:18)

Timestamps for Crucial Segments

• 01:01 – Ben introduces the ruling and outlines the bombshell findings against Halligan and Trump’s team.
• 03:31 – Details on how Halligan became Trump’s prosecutor of choice.
• 05:40 – Misstatements of law explained; judge’s rationale for extraordinary ruling.
• 07:55 – Breach of attorney-client privilege discussed.
• 13:08 – Missing grand jury transcripts and procedural errors.
• 14:00 – Judge Fitzpatrick’s conclusion and the potential for indictment dismissal.
• 16:18 – Ben’s closing reaction and comments on the case’s uniqueness.

Summary Takeaway

The episode delivers a focused, enlightening breakdown of a potentially landmark court decision—one that not only threatens Trump’s efforts against Comey but lays bare shocking procedural breakdowns and prosecutorial misconduct within the grand jury system. The brothers’ legal expertise and conversational dynamic offer both depth and accessibility, making real the legal stakes and the rare, stunning nature of Judge Fitzpatrick’s order. Listeners come away with a clear understanding of both the legal missteps and their profound implications for Trump’s broader judicial battles.