The Trump Justice Department dismissed the newly appointed US attorney for western Washington state less than an hour after he was sworn in, setting up yet another legal battle over the president’s appointment powers.
Roger Rogoff, a former King County judge and veteran state and federal prosecutor, was sworn in Wednesday morning at the federal courthouse in downtown Seattle after he was unanimously appointed by the district’s 17 federal judges.
Rogoff told the Associated Press in a phone interview that he then went to the federal prosecutor’s office to request a meeting with first assistant US Attorney Charles Neil Floyd, a former immigration judge who had served as interim US attorney for a 120-day period that ended in February.
While waiting to meet with Floyd, Rogoff said, he received an email informing him of his removal by President Trump.
“District court judges can appoint a temporary U.S. Attorney, and POTUS can fire them,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche posted on X Wednesday evening. “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. Roger Rogoff has been fired by the President.”
US attorneys must be confirmed by the Senate, except in the case of interim appointments. Once an interim appointment expires after 120 days, federal judges can pick the new US attorney for any district.
Trump never formally submitted Floyd’s nomination to the Senate, opting to keep him as first assistant US attorney in a controversial personnel move similar to ones the administration has tried before.
“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,” Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said of Rogoff in a statement. “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 acting US attorney for New Jersey after an appeals court said she had been serving in the post unlawfully since July 2025.
In January, Lindsey Halligan left her position as interim US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia after a judge concluded her appointment by then-Attorney General Pam Bondi was unlawful and ordered the dismissal of indictments she secured against New York state Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey.
In the Northern District of New York, John Sarcone is currently serving as first assistant US attorney after judges in that district rejected his attempt to make his appointment permanent.
Rogoff said Wednesday he was considering legal action following his firing.
“I’m really proud of my career,” he told AP. “The fact that the judges of this district — most of whom I’ve spent my career appearing in front of, or trying cases against, or working with — believed that I was the right person to do this work is just really humbling and amazing.”
With Post wires
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