Trump Axes Newly Appointed Seattle Prosecutor in Shocking Power Play

President Donald Trump fired the newly appointed U.S. prosecutor in Seattle, Roger Rogoff, less than an hour after federal judges unanimously appointed him, showcasing a blatant power struggle between the courts and the presidency.

Rogoff, a former judge and seasoned prosecutor, was sworn in before 8 a.m. at the U.S. courthouse in downtown Seattle. He immediately sought a meeting with Charles Neil Floyd, whose interim term had ended in February.

While waiting in the lobby, Rogoff received an email from the Trump administration notifying him of his termination. He is now consulting with legal experts about potential litigation regarding his firing.

Typically, U.S. attorneys are appointed by the president and require Senate confirmation, except for temporary appointments. When these temporary roles expire without a confirmed nominee, district judges can appoint a U.S. attorney.

Under Trump's administration, the Justice Department has attempted to keep unconfirmed prosecutors in their roles indefinitely through unconventional tactics.

“District court judges can appoint a temporary U.S. Attorney, and POTUS can fire them,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche on social media. He criticized the judges for bypassing traditional consultation with the administration to ensure that appointees align with its agenda.

Trump appointed Floyd as interim U.S. attorney last October but never submitted his nomination to the Senate. When Floyd's interim term expired, Trump simply reclassified him as first assistant U.S. attorney, leaving the top position vacant—a strategy employed in other federal districts as well.

A U.S. appeals court panel expressed doubts about the legality of this maneuver in May. Subsequently, federal judges in Seattle opted to solicit applications for the position and established a bipartisan panel to evaluate them.

On Wednesday morning, a court consisting of 17 active and senior judges appointed by five different presidents unanimously named Rogoff as the U.S. attorney for western Washington.

Democratic Senator Patty Murray of Washington, who opposed Floyd's appointment, condemned Rogoff's swift dismissal.

“He has shown an outstanding commitment to public service, and he was legally appointed by federal judges,” Murray stated. “This administration doesn’t want to deal with advice and consent—they just want to install cronies to carry out a corrupt political agenda.”

In December, Alina Habba resigned as New Jersey's top federal prosecutor after an appeals court ruled her service was unlawful.

Lindsey Halligan left her acting U.S. attorney role in Virginia after a judge deemed her appointment illegal, leading to the dismissal of indictments against Trump adversaries James Comey and others.

The judges there appointed James Hundley, a veteran with over 30 years of experience in criminal and civil cases, but he was also fired by the administration. A similar fate befell another court-appointed U.S. attorney in northern New York.

Rogoff, who has two decades of experience as a state prosecutor and six years as a federal prosecutor before becoming a state judge, anticipated the possibility of immediate termination. However, he expressed no hesitation about stepping into what he called “the best job there is” for a prosecutor.

“I’m really proud of my career,” Rogoff remarked. “The fact that the judges of this district—most of whom I’ve spent my career appearing in front of or trying cases against—believed I was the right person for this work is just really humbling and amazing.”