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Trump fires U.S. attorney in Washington, Roger Rogoff, on heels of court appointment

CBS News · back to the audit
Trump fires U.S. attorney in Washington, Roger Rogoff, on heels of court appointment.

President Trump on Wednesday fired Roger Rogoff from his post as the top federal prosecutor in Seattle shortly after federal judges in the area installed him in the role. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced Rogoff's firing in a social media post and accused the judges of failing to consult with the administration before making their selection.

"District court judges can appoint a temporary U.S. Attorney, and POTUS can fire them. WDWA judges abandoned the time-honored process of consultation with the administration so that the selected U.S. Attorney is qualified to serve in the administration," he wrote on X. "Roger Rogoff has been fired by the President."

Sen. Patty Murray, a Washington Democrat, criticized Mr. Trump for the firing. "Roger Rogoff is eminently qualified -- throughout his career, he has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to public service, and he was appointed legally by the federal judges in the Western District of Washington," she said in a statement. Murray accused the Trump administration of attempting to bypass the Senate's advice-and-consent role to "install cronies to carry out a corrupt political agenda."

Federal law allows the attorney general to appoint an interim U.S. attorney, who is subject to a 120-day term. Once that appointment expires, the district court can either agree to extend that prosecutor's tenure or appoint its own U.S. attorney until the Senate confirms a replacement. Federal judges have exercised this power to install U.S. attorneys in several areas, including in Virginia, New Jersey, New York and Nevada.

But federal judges have said those acting U.S. attorneys put in place by the Trump administration in New York, Nevada, New Jersey and Virginia were unlawfully appointed. At least one federal appeals court has ruled against Mr. Trump and agreed that Alina Habba was serving as acting U.S. attorney unlawfully. In a case involving Lindsey Halligan, a federal judge dismissed criminal charges against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James after concluding that Halligan's appointment as U.S. attorney was invalid. The Justice Department has appealed that decision.