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Roger Rogoff, sworn in as U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington, has launched a novel legal challenge after the Trump administration terminated his employment in less than an hour. A panel of federal district court judges—including both Democratic and Republican appointees—unanimously selected Rogoff for the position, marking his initial appointment to the role. The swift dismissal has triggered what legal observers believe to be the first lawsuit of its kind against a presidential administration for removing a judicially appointed prosecutor.
Rogoff’s complaint centers on a question of statutory authority: whether federal law permits the president to immediately remove court-appointed U.S. attorneys or whether such officials may serve until a Senate-confirmed replacement is installed. According to Rogoff, a 120-day period allows the Department of Justice to appoint an interim prosecutor, but after that window closes, the local district court retains appointment power until a permanent vacancy is filled through Senate confirmation. He contends the administration lacks legal grounds to dismiss him under these circumstances.
The Trump administration disputes this interpretation, arguing the president possesses broad removal authority over all U.S. attorneys regardless of their appointment method. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated on social media that district court judges abandoned customary coordination with the administration and that presidential removal power remains intact. A DOJ spokesperson told Fox News Digital the firing aligns with established practice and falls within presidential prerogative.
This dispute carries significant implications for executive-judicial relations and prosecutorial independence. If courts uphold Rogoff’s position, presidents would face restrictions on dismissing court-appointed officials without Senate approval. Conversely, a ruling favoring the administration could permit circumventing Senate confirmation requirements indefinitely by removing judicially selected attorneys at will.
Rogoff, appointed a King County Superior Court judge by Washington Governor Jay Inslee in 2013, previously worked in private legal practice. The case arrives amid a broader pattern of U.S. attorney terminations across multiple districts, including New Jersey, New York, and Virginia, though Rogoff remains the first to mount a legal challenge to his removal.
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