The Justice Department is asking a federal appeals court Tuesday to revive criminal cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, two longtime adversaries of President Trump.

Both cases were previously dismissed after a judge ruled that Lindsey Halligan, a Trump ally who had been serving as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, was unlawfully appointed. The Justice Department is challenging that conclusion before the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Reuters reported Tuesday.

Federal prosecutors argue that the lower court misinterpreted the law governing the appointment of U.S. attorneys. Trump had publicly called for both Comey and James to face prosecution before the cases were brought.

Comey and James have denied wrongdoing and portrayed the prosecutions as politically motivated. The appeals court’s decision could determine whether the Justice Department gets another opportunity to pursue the criminal cases.

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