WASHINGTON — The Justice Department is appealing a federal judge's rulings that tossed out criminal charges against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

The judge dismissed the indictments on Nov. 24 after determining that Trump loyalist and first-time prosecutor Lindsey Halligan was unconstitutionally appointed.

The Justice Department said at the time it planned to appeal, but in an unusual move, it later attempted — twice — to reindict James with different prosecutors presenting the case. Both efforts were unsuccessful.

Halligan, whom U.S. District Judge Cameron Currie described as "a former White House aide with no prior prosecutorial experience," was named the top federal attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia immediately after career prosecutors and veteran prosecutor Erik Siebert determined that the government's cases against Comey and James were not strong enough to move forward.

Halligan presented the Comey case to a federal grand jury by herself just days before the five-year statute of limitations was set to expire on comments Comey made before a congressional committee that were central to the prosecution.