Federal judge disqualifies Trump-appointed prosecutor for ‘unlawfully serving’ in role

A federal judge in California has found that Bill Essayli, the senior federal prosecutor for the southern part of the state, holds his post illegally and cannot keep overseeing two criminal cases. Judge Michael Seabright issued the decision on Tuesday, but it does not take effect right away because the Department of Justice plans to appeal, according to The Guardian.

Essayli, a onetime Republican state legislator and supporter of President Donald Trump, began as interim U.S. attorney in April 2025 without being nominated or confirmed by the Senate. When that interim stint lapsed the following July, the administration relabeled him acting U.S. attorney, and after a judge found that arrangement unlawful, it retained him as a first assistant. Seabright concluded that neither that title nor a special attorney designation cures the problem, relying on an August appeals court decision in a comparable Nevada dispute.

Essayli said the president and attorney general may choose their own supervisors and expects the Supreme Court to settle the matter. H Dean Steward, a lawyer for one of the defendants, told the LA Times the administration had broken appointment law. Alina Habba met a similar fate in New Jersey in December.

Summarized by PolitiKool from The Guardian’s reporting. Read the full story at The Guardian →