Trump fires court-appointed Seattle US attorney less than an hour after judges swear him in

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump removed Seattle's newly appointed top federal prosecutor on Wednesday, July 15, less than an hour after he was sworn into office by federal judges, setting up what could become another legal clash over the administration's handling of US attorney appointments.

Roger Rogoff, a former federal prosecutor and state judge, said he received notice of his dismissal by email shortly after taking the oath of office. He said he is consulting lawyers and is considering legal action over the decision.

Trump administration removes Roger Rogoff less than an hour after appointment

Rogoff was unanimously appointed by the judges of the US District Court for the Western District of Washington after the administration failed to secure Senate confirmation for its preferred nominee.

The veteran prosecutor was sworn in before 8 am on Wednesday at the federal courthouse in Seattle.

According to Rogoff, he then went to the US Attorney's Office to meet Charles Neil Floyd. Floyd's interim appointment had expired months earlier, but while Rogoff was waiting in the office lobby, he received an email informing him that he had been removed from the position.

Rogoff said he was "only the US Attorney for less than an hour" when the message from the presidential personnel office arrived notifying him that Trump had fired him.

"We are considering our options and have a group of lawyers who have agreed to help," Rogoff said. 

The judges' appointment order noted that the district had been without a Senate-confirmed US attorney for three years, prompting the court to exercise its statutory authority to fill the vacancy until a permanent nominee is confirmed.

Chief US District Judge David Estudillo wrote that "Mr. Rogoff has deep ties to the Western District of Washington and has devoted his career to serving its citizens."

Rogoff, who spent decades as both a state and federal prosecutor before serving as a Washington state judge, said he understood the administration could move quickly but accepted the appointment because serving as US attorney remained "the best job there is" for a prosecutor.

Todd Blanche defends Trump's decision to remove Roger Rogoff

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed the dismissal in a post on X, arguing the president has the authority to remove court-appointed US attorneys.

"District court judges can appoint a temporary US Attorney, and POTUS can fire them," Blanche wrote.

Floyd, Trump's choice for the Seattle post, was first appointed as interim US attorney before later being designated first assistant US attorney after his interim term expired. According to the US Attorney's Office, Floyd continues leading the office following Rogoff's dismissal.

Democratic Senator Patty Murray criticized Rogoff's removal, saying he "was appointed legally by the federal judges in the Western District of Washington."

Murray said, "The people of Washington state deserve someone in this role who will enforce the law fairly and responsibly, not some Trump administration sock puppet." 

Rogoff said the judges' unanimous confidence in his qualifications was "really humbling and amazing," adding that he is reviewing his legal options following the unprecedented dismissal.