Donald Trump fired the new U.S. prosecutor in Seattle on Wednesday less than an hour after he was unanimously appointed by federal judges within the district.
Roger Rogoff, a veteran state and federal prosecutor and judge was sworn in around 8 a.m. in Seattle. He was replacing Charles Neil Floyd, who held the position as an interim for about four months. That term ended in February.
As Rogoff waited to meet with Floyd, he received an email alerting him that the Trump administration had removed him. He is reportedly seeking legal advice about whether to sue over his sudden termination.
U.S. attorneys are usually appointed by the president as the top prosecutor in each judicial district. Normally, these appointments require Senate confirmations, unless the appointment is temporary. In the case of temporary appointments that expire before confirmation, the judges within the district may name a U.S. attorney.
But, the Trump administration desires to leave unconfirmed prosecutors in position indefinitely.
Back in August, a judge ruled that Alina Habba, who was once Trump’s personal lawyer, was unlawfully holding the U.S. attorney position in New Jersey after the Trump administration attempted to extend her 120-day interim status.
Then, in November, a judge found that Lindsay Halligan, whom Trump used to go after his political nemeses, was improperly appointed and therefore lacked the authority to bring the cases. Trump had installed Halligan as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. The cases against James Comey and Letitia James were thus dismissed.
Todd Blanche, the acting U.S. Attorney General who replaced Pam Bondi and has recently become a staunch Trump defender, said that the judges flouted the long-held process of appointments.
Posting on social media, Blanche said that district court judges can appoint temporary U.S. attorneys, and the president can fire them. He also said that the judges who appointed Rogoff “abandoned the time-honored process of consultation with the administration sot that the selected U.S. Attorney is qualified to serve in the administration.”
District court judges can appoint a temporary U.S. Attorney, and POTUS can fire them. 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…
— Acting AG Todd Blanche (@DAGToddBlanche) July 15, 2026
Floyd was appointed by Trump in October as the interim U.S. attorney, but never sent his nomination to the Senate. When his term expired, the Trump administration just changed his title and named him first assistant U.S. attorney.
In May, a U.S. appeals court questioned the legality of the maneuver and federal judges chose to accept applications for the position and a bipartisan panel reviewed the applications.
Senator Patty Murry (D-Wash.), who had opposed Floyd, criticized Rogoff’s sudden firing and express her concern that the Trump administration is using appointees for purposes that are not above board.
“Throughout his career, he [Rogoff] has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to public service, and he was appointed legally by the federal judges in the Western District of Washington,” the senator said in a written 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.”
