Fired Seattle U.S. attorney sues Trump to get his job back
Roger Rogoff says President Trump illegally removed him less than an hour after federal judges appointed him as Seattle’s U.S. attorney.
By Sal Moretti · Money Reporter
3 min read
Roger Rogoff, the former U.S. attorney in Seattle, has sued the Trump administration after President Trump fired him less than an hour after local federal judges put him in the job, according to his federal lawsuit.
Rogoff is asking the U.S. District Court in Seattle to cancel the firing and declare that he remains the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington until Trump nominates a successor and the Senate confirms that person.
The lawsuit argues that Rogoff’s removal violated a federal law that controls U.S. attorney vacancies, as well as the Constitution’s Appointments Clause. His lawyers said in the filing that allowing the firing to stand would let the executive branch bypass the Senate’s advice-and-consent role with no end point.
“Defendants’ attempt to fire [Rogoff] cannot stand,” his attorneys wrote in the complaint.
Judges picked Rogoff, then the White House fired him
Federal judges in the Western District of Washington announced last week that they had appointed Rogoff as the region’s U.S. attorney.
Under federal law, the attorney general may appoint an interim U.S. attorney for a 120-day term. After that period expires, the district court may either extend that prosecutor’s service or appoint its own U.S. attorney until the Senate confirms a replacement.
According to the lawsuit, Rogoff received an email from the Executive Office of the President notifying him of his removal less than an hour after the judges selected him.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who is named as a defendant in the case, announced last Wednesday that Trump had fired Rogoff. Blanche accused the district judges of choosing Rogoff without consulting the administration.
Rogoff said in a statement that the president’s move broke the law and disregarded constitutional protections.
“His removal of me, like his removal of other court-appointed U.S. Attorneys across the country, is illegal and cannot stand,” Rogoff said.
Seattle office has lacked a confirmed U.S. attorney since 2023
The Western District of Washington has not had a Senate-confirmed U.S. attorney since mid-2023, according to CBS News.
After Trump began his second term, he fired Tessa Gorman from the position. Gorman had been appointed by district judges in May 2024.
The Seattle U.S. Attorney’s Office is currently being led by Charles Neil Floyd, the first assistant U.S. attorney. Trump has not announced a nominee for the Seattle post.
Rogoff appears to be the first fired U.S. attorney to challenge his removal by Trump in court, CBS News reported.
The administration has also removed prosecutors appointed by judges in several other jurisdictions, including Virginia, New Jersey, New York and Nevada, according to CBS News.
The lawsuit puts a sharp legal fight around a narrow but powerful question: who controls a U.S. attorney’s office when the Senate has not confirmed anyone for the job and the interim appointment clock has run out.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS News.