Mr. Fulton and Mr. Halley were members of the 1941 U.S. Senate Special Truman Committee, created to investigate the national defense program (Mr. Fulton was its chief counsel), and the 1950 U.S. Senate Special Kefauver Committee, created to investigate crime in interstate commerce (Mr. Halley was its chief counsel).

In 1941, he went to work for the U.S. Senate Special Committee to Investigate the National Defense Program, better known as the "Truman Committee" for its chairman, then-Senator Harry S. Truman, which investigated fraud and waste in defense contracting during World War II.

In his role as Chief Counsel, Halley personally questioned every witness called to testify before the Committee.

In the summer of 1951, Halley announced his candidacy for President of the New York City Council, a position that would later be replaced by that of New York City Public Advocate, in a special election held to replace Vincent R. Impellitteri, who had ascended to the mayor's office after the resignation of William O'Dwyer.

He ran on an anti-corruption, anti-crime, anti-Tammany Hall platform and promised to "teach the political bosses a lesson."

Running once again on the Liberal and Independent Citizens lines, he ran third with 467,104 votes (21%), behind Democratic Manhattan Borough President Robert F. Wagner, Jr. and Republican attorney Harold Riegelman.