Back in the crosshairs: Who is Lindsey Halligan, the lawyer targeted by hackers?
In August, reports emerged of a hacking attempt targeting Lindsey Halligan, a Fort Lauderdale-based attorney and key member of that of Donald Trump legal team. As U.S. intelligence confirmed Iran’s involvement in cyberattacks targeting both the Trump and Biden presidential campaigns, Halligan’s name emerged in the high-stakes investigation.
Although her public profile is lower than that of other Trump lawyers, Halligan is seen internally as a trusted advisor and “Trump whisperer.” Lawyer Monthly takes a closer look at Halligan’s career and his pivotal role in navigating the legal whirlwind surrounding Trump, including his involvement in the classified documents affair and recent high-level Justice Department meetings.
Lindsey Halligan: Insurance lawyer turned Trump’s legal defender.
Last August, one of Donald Trump’s lawyers was the target of a hacking attempt, three sources familiar with the matter told CNN. 2024 presidential campaign. A source told CNN that Lindsey Halligan was targeted as part of the Iranian hacking effort, although the timing of the attempt and the extent of any breach of her devices or accounts remains unclear as the FBI continues to conduct a high-stakes investigation months later. the presidential election.
CNN previously reported that suspected Iranian hackers breached the personal email account of Roger Stone, a longtime Trump ally, then used his email account to access the account of a senior campaign official. Halligan has been part of Trump’s legal team for several years and first worked closely on the classified documents case. She recently attended the Republican convention and was seated in the front row of the VIP box on the final night when Trump gave his speech.
Although she is not as public as other lawyers, Halligan is considered internally a “Trump whisperer,” one of her former colleagues told CNN. Trump trusts her and often wanted her at the table for big moments. Others often turned to her to communicate messages.
Ministry of Justice
She has also previously attended high-level meetings at the Justice Department with other members of its legal team. “These reports of an attempted hack of President Trump’s team by the Iranian terrorist regime follow recent revelations of an Iranian plot to assassinate President Trump, around the same time as the tragedy from Butler, Pennsylvania.
Iranians deeply fear that President Trump will end their reign of terror, just as he did during his first term. Steven Cheung, communications director for the Trump campaign, told CNN that any media outlet sharing documents or internal communications only serves the interests of America’s adversaries. The FBI has chosen not to comment on this matter. On Monday, the FBI and other U.S. intelligence agencies confirmed they believe the Iranian government was responsible for the hacking operation targeting the Trump presidential campaign, as well as attempts to target the Biden-Harris campaign .
According to a joint statement from the FBI, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, “the intelligence community is convinced that the Iranians used social engineering and other tactics to gain access to individuals closely associated with the presidential campaigns of both parties. Such actions, including thefts and leaks, aim to influence the US electoral process. » Iran’s mission to the UN rejected the allegations on Monday, calling them “unfounded.” The Trump campaign has been in contact with the FBI regarding the hacking incident and received updates on the agency’s initial findings. However, due to Trump’s great distrust of the FBI, concerns remain about the extent of their collaboration.
Lindsey Halligan: From insurance law specialist to key lawyer in Trump’s legal battles
Lindsey Halligan is a licensed Florida attorney specializing in insurance law. Throughout her career, she has focused on residential and commercial insurance claims. Since 2022, she has been part of the legal team representing former US President Donald Trump, including in his 2023 case involving classified documents in Florida. Career Overview 2013-2021: Insurance Law Practice Halligan received her law degree from the University of Miami School of Law in 2013 and became a member of the Florida Bar in 2014.
Based in Fort Lauderdale, she has devoted her practice to handling a variety of insurance claims. During her career, she served as second chair for another attorney in a lawsuit defending an insurance company against three Miami homeowners whose roofs had been damaged. In that case, the judge denied her team’s request for attorney fees, citing a lack of “good faith” in their actions. 2022–present: Legal representation of Donald Trump Halligan has represented Donald Trump since 2022.
Notably, as of August of that year, she had yet to take on a federal case. She was present at Mar-a-Lago during the FBI raid in August 2022 and quickly became involved in Trump’s lawsuit against CNN in October 2022, which accused the network of making inappropriate comparisons between Trump and Hitler. She also played an important role in his defense in the classified documents affair. As the local attorney for the case stemming from the execution of the FBI search warrant at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence, Halligan described the event as a “huge surprise.”
She filed the motions to appear Pro Hac Vice for attorneys Evan Corcoran and James Trusty on August 22, 2022. Halligan was one of the few attorneys present during the FBI search and noted that the subsequent indictment of Trump was a serious matter.