ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) – Michael Nachmanoff is building a quiet reputation in federal court in northern Virginia. A former public defender turned judge, he is known for his methodical preparation and calm demeanor. On Wednesday, he found himself at the center of a political storm as he chaired the Justice Department. Former FBI Director James Comey indicted.
Nakhanov, who was appointed to the jury by Democratic President Joe Biden in 2021, was randomly assigned to the case as a result of a grand jury in Virginia. Mr. Comey indicted Last month, he was indicted on charges including filibustering Congress. The assignment was quickly divided President Donald Trump’s Note. Mr. Trump, a Republican who has long been obsessed with Mr. Comey, has criticized Mr. Comey as a “dirty cop” and derided Mr. Nakhanov as a “crooked judge appointed by Biden,” while praising the charges as “justice for America!”
Despite the political noise, lawyers who know Nakhanov say he is unlikely to budge.
“Whatever his personal politics are, I don’t think they’ll be in the courtroom,” said Nina Ginsburg, a longtime Virginia public defender who has tried cases before him. “I don’t think he will be influenced by politics or media coverage because he has enough confidence in his ability to judge fairly.”
Mr. Nakhanov, 57, is the first top federal public defender in more than a decade in the Eastern District of Virginia to argue and win a Supreme Court case that helped reduce racial disparities in crack cocaine sentencing. He served as a magistrate for six years, handling some cases with political overtones. In 2019 he directed the first appearance He released Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, associates of Trump ally Rudy Giuliani, on $1 million bonds. Most recently, he refused to stop the CIA from firing Dr. Terry Adirim, a doctor at the Pentagon. Targeted by President Trump’s allies Concerning the obligation to receive the new coronavirus infection vaccine.
“He was an aggressive advocate, a jack of all trades type of lawyer,” Ginsburg said of the judge. She said he ran the court fairly and respectfully.
Defense attorney Timothy Berevets, a former federal prosecutor in the Eastern District of Virginia, said Nachmanoff has been “always a worthy adversary.”
“He’s been around the courthouse for years and years and years,” Berebets said. “He’s very well-respected. He’s very smart and gives parties a fair shake and listens to arguments.”
Comey was indicted late last month on charges of lying to Congress. Days earlier, President Trump appeared to ask Attorney General Pam Bondi to prosecute the former FBI director and other political opponents.
Comey, who pleaded not guilty Wednesday, expressed confidence in the court system while acknowledging his political background. “My heart breaks for the Department of Justice, but I have great faith in the federal judicial system and I am innocent. So let’s have a trial,” he said in a video after the indictment.
The conflict between Trump and Comey has been going on for years. President Trump fired the FBI director in 2017, just a few months into his first term. Russian interference in the 2016 election. Since then, President Trump has repeatedly called for Mr. Comey to be prosecuted and publicly pressured Mr. Bondi to take action in the days before the indictment.
For lawyers who have worked with Mr. Nakhanov, that kind of political noise is likely not a problem. They point to his long record of independence and constitutional rigor. “Federal public defenders are known for their fidelity to the Constitution and due process,” said Lisa Wayne, executive director of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
He said the White House should welcome Nakhanov’s involvement as a safeguard “against the emergence of partisan political attacks.”
___
Associated Press writers Adriana Gomez Licon in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Eric Tucker and Gary Fields in Washington contributed to this report.
