Donald Trump fired a federal prosecutor before he could even settle into his new office. The president removed a court-appointed U.S. attorney in Seattle within minutes of his swearing-in, escalating a growing standoff with the judiciary.
Roger Rogoff was removed after federal judges appointed him
President Donald Trump fired newly appointed U.S. attorney Roger Rogoff in Seattle on Wednesday, according to The Associated Press (via NBC News). Federal judges in the Western District of Washington had unanimously appointed Rogoff less than an hour earlier. The administration emailed him notice of his removal while he waited in the U.S. Attorney’s Office lobby.
Rogoff, a former state judge and veteran prosecutor, was sworn in before 8 a.m. at the downtown Seattle courthouse. He had gone to meet Charles Neil Floyd, whose 120-day interim term expired in February. Trump had named Floyd interim U.S. attorney last October but never forwarded his nomination to the Senate.
The administration instead shifted Floyd’s title to first assistant U.S. attorney while leaving the top post empty. A U.S. appeals court panel expressed skepticism about the legality of that maneuver in May. The district’s 17 active and senior judges then took applications and appointed a bipartisan review panel.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the firing in a social media post. He stated that judges “abandoned the time-honored process of consultation with the administration.” He also noted that a president can fire a court-appointed temporary U.S. attorney.
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., blasted the removal in a written statement. She said Rogoff “demonstrated an outstanding commitment to public service.” Murray added that the administration “doesn’t want to deal with advice and consent.”
Similar conflicts have emerged in other districts across the country. The administration also fired court-appointed U.S. attorneys in Virginia and northern New York. In December, Alina Habba resigned as New Jersey’s top federal prosecutor after an appeals court ruled her appointment unlawful.
Rogoff spent 20 years as a state prosecutor and six as a federal prosecutor. He said he knew the administration might fire him immediately. He called the role “the best job there is” for a prosecutor.
