A U.S. judge has disqualified Washington lawyer James Cole from defending tech giant Huawei against charges of bank fraud and sanctions violations. Cole served as the deputy attorney general at the Justice Department between 2011 and 2015. Federal prosecutors argue that Cole's prior work at the Department of Justice created a conflict of interest. Cole did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In a statement, Huawei spokesman Joe Kelly expressed disappointment at the decision and said the company reserves the right to appeal.