Back in the Crosshairs: Who is Lindsey Halligan, the Lawyer Targeted by Hackers?
In August, reports surfaced of a hacking attempt targeting Lindsey Halligan, a Fort Lauderdale-based attorney and a key member of Donald Trump’s legal team. As U.S. intelligence agencies confirmed Iran's involvement in cyberattacks aimed at both Trump’s and Biden’s presidential campaigns, Halligan’s name emerged in connection with this high-stakes investigation.
While her public profile is more understated compared to other Trump attorneys, Halligan is regarded internally as a trusted adviser and "Trump whisperer." Lawyer Monthly takes a closer look at Halligan’s career and her critical role in navigating the legal maelstrom surrounding Trump, including her involvement in the classified documents case and recent high-level Justice Department meetings.
Lindsey Halligan: The Insurance Lawyer Turned Trump Legal Defender.
Back in August, one of Donald Trump’s attorneys was targeted in a hacking attempt, three sources familiar with the matter tell CNN, marking a potentially serious new development as American intelligence agencies confirmed Monday that they have concluded Iran is behind a recent hack into the former president’s 2024 campaign. One source told CNN that Lindsey Halligan was targeted as part of the Iranian hacking effort, though 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 out from the presidential election.
CNN has previously reported that suspected Iranian hackers breached the personal email account of longtime Trump ally Roger Stone, and then used his email account to access the account of a senior campaign official. Halligan has been on Trump’s legal team for several years and initially worked closely on the classified documents case. She recently attended the Republican convention and sat in the front row of the VIP box on the final night when Trump delivered his speech.
While she is not as public-facing as other attorneys, Halligan is seen internally as a “Trump whisperer,” one of her former colleagues told CNN. Trump trusts her and often wanted her at the table for big moments. Others would often turn to her to communicate messages back to him.
Justice Department
She has also previously attended high-level meetings at the Justice Department with other members of his legal team. “These reports of the attempted hacking of President Trump’s team by the terrorist regime in Iran come after recent disclosures of an Iranian plot to assassinate President Trump around the same time as the Butler, PA tragedy.
Iranians are deeply concerned that President Trump will put an end to their reign of terror, just as he did during his first term in office. Steven Cheung, the communications director for the Trump campaign, stated to CNN that any media outlet sharing internal documents or communications is merely serving the interests of America’s adversaries. The FBI chose not to comment on the matter. On Monday, the FBI and other U.S. intelligence agencies confirmed that they believe the Iranian government is responsible for the hacking operation aimed at Trump’s presidential campaign, as well as attempts to target the Biden-Harris campaign.
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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 confident that the Iranians have 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, are designed to sway the U.S. electoral process.” Iran’s mission to the UN dismissed these allegations on Monday, labeling them as “unsubstantiated.” The Trump campaign has been in contact with the FBI regarding the hacking incident and has received updates on the agency’s initial findings. However, due to Trump’s significant distrust of the FBI, there are concerns about the extent of their collaboration.
Lindsey Halligan: From Insurance Law Specialist to Key Attorney in Trump’s Legal Battles
Lindsey Halligan is a licensed attorney in Florida, specializing in insurance law. Throughout her career, she has focused on both residential and commercial insurance claims. Since 2022, she has been part of the legal team representing former U.S. President Donald Trump, particularly in connection with his 2023 case involving classified documents in Florida. Career Overview 2013–2021: Insurance Law Practice Halligan earned 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 dedicated her practice to handling various insurance claims. During her career, she served as second chair for another attorney in a trial defending an insurance company against three homeowners from Miami whose roofs had been damaged. In this case, the judge denied her team’s request for attorney fees, citing a lack of "good faith" in their actions. 2022–Present: Legal Representation for Donald Trump Halligan has been representing Donald Trump since 2022.
Notably, by August of that year, she had not yet taken on a federal case. She was present at Mar-a-Lago during the FBI's search 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 has also played a significant role in his defense regarding the classified documents case. As local counsel for the case arising from the FBI's search warrant execution at Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence, Halligan described the event as a "huge surprise."
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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 remarked that Trump's subsequent indictment was a serious matter.
