Judge Disqualifies Trump-Appointed LA Prosecutor Over Serious Federal Law Violation
President Donald Trump and U.S. attorney Bill Essayli.
A federal judge has ruled that the Justice Department’s top prosecutor in Los Angeles was illegally serving in his position, marking another setback for temporary appointments made under the Trump administration.
U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright concluded Tuesday that Bill Essayli, appointed in April by former President Donald Trump to lead the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, exceeded the legal limit of his temporary tenure.
Under federal law, interim U.S. attorneys can serve for only 120 days unless a permanent replacement is confirmed by the Senate. According to Seabright, Essayli should have vacated the position by July 31. Instead, Attorney General Pam Bondi attempted to extend his term through 2026, a move the judge found unlawful under federal appointment rules.
“Simply stated: Essayli unlawfully assumed the role of Acting United States Attorney for the Central District of California,” Seabright wrote. “Essayli may not perform the functions and duties of the United States Attorney. He is disqualified from serving in that role.”
‘Now We Know Why He Needed an MRI’: Trump’s Bizarre Two-Word Truth Social Post Baffles The Internet
The Justice Department declined to comment, citing ongoing litigation. Essayli, however, dismissed the ruling on X, claiming it would have little effect on his day-to-day responsibilities, writing, “Nothing is changing.”
Seabright’s ruling leaves open the possibility that the judges of the Central District of California could appoint an interim U.S. attorney until a permanent nominee is confirmed by the Senate. Federal law allows local judges to make such appointments when an interim term expires.
This decision marks the third time in recent weeks that a court has invalidated a top federal prosecutor appointed by Bondi in an acting capacity. Previous rulings affected prosecutors in New Jersey and Nevada, and the legal implications could soon extend to Lindsey Halligan, a Trump-backed prosecutor in Virginia who recently brought indictments against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
The challenge to Essayli’s authority came from three defendants indicted by his office after his official term had already expired. Their attorneys argued that Essayli’s continued service violated federal law and asked the court to dismiss their charges.
While Seabright stopped short of throwing out the indictments, he ruled that the cases would stand because they had also been signed by lawfully appointed prosecutors.
That distinction could prove crucial for Halligan, whose indictments of Comey and James were reportedly signed only by her after career prosecutors in her office refused to participate. U.S. District Judge Cameron Currie, a Clinton appointee from South Carolina, is scheduled to hear arguments on Halligan’s appointment next month.
The case was assigned to Seabright’s courtroom in Hawaii to avoid potential conflicts with judges in Los Angeles, where Essayli oversees prosecutions. Similar steps were taken in the rulings involving the New Jersey, Nevada, and Eastern Virginia prosecutors.
The ruling delivers another blow to the Trump administration’s strategy of installing loyalists in key federal posts through temporary appointments. It underscores that legal limits on acting roles are enforceable, not mere technicalities, and that courts are willing to intervene when those boundaries are crossed.
- llinois Democrat Who Was Assaulted by ICE Hit With Federal Charges Over Chicago Protest
- Judge Disqualifies Trump-Appointed LA Prosecutor Over Serious Federal Law Violation
- RFK Jr.’s Top Vaccine Adviser Says He Answers to No One, Calls for “Scientific Integrity” in Vaccine Policy
- I’m Not Allowed, It’s Too Bad’: Trump Concedes He Can’t Run for Third Term
- ‘Now We Know Why He Needed an MRI’: Trump’s Bizarre Two-Word Truth Social Post Baffles The Internet
