Trump Fires Seattle U.S. Attorney After Federal Judges Appoint Roger Rogoff
President Donald Trump fired Roger Rogoff less than an hour after federal judges appointed him as U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington, escalating a fight over who controls interim federal prosecutor jobs.
Rogoff, a former prosecutor and state judge, was selected by 17 federal judges in the Seattle based district after the office had gone without a Senate confirmed U.S. attorney. Reuters reported that Rogoff was sworn in Wednesday morning and was removed shortly afterward.
The dispute turns on federal appointment law. Under 28 U.S.C. 546, the attorney general may appoint an interim U.S. attorney, but that appointment is limited to 120 days. After that period expires, the district court may appoint a U.S. attorney to serve until the vacancy is filled.
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Another statute says U.S. attorneys are appointed by the president with Senate confirmation and are subject to removal by the president. That is the legal collision now hanging over the Seattle office.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche defended Trump’s move on X, saying district judges can appoint a temporary U.S. attorney but the president can fire them. Sen. Patty Murray criticized the firing publicly, saying Rogoff was legally appointed and accusing Trump of seeking a loyalist.
The practical consequence is immediate. Leadership of a federal prosecutor’s office that handles criminal cases, civil enforcement, and federal litigation in Western Washington remains tied up in a separation of powers fight.
Rogoff is considering legal action, according to Reuters. Any lawsuit could become a test case over whether court appointed U.S. attorneys can be removed immediately by the president or whether the court appointment process carries more protection once triggered.
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