A legal earthquake shook Washington this week as a federal judge temporarily halted a magistrate’s unprecedented order requiring the U.S. Department of Justice to hand over confidential grand jury materials to former FBI Director James Comey.

The pause — granted late Monday evening — has already triggered intense debate about prosecutorial integrity, political influence, and the boundaries of judicial authority. At the center of this unfolding confrontation are two dramatically opposing narratives:

Comey’s defense, which argues the case is riddled with procedural failures and political motives, and the Justice Department, which insists that the prosecution remains appropriate and…