U.S. President Donald Trump has dismissed Roger Rogoff as the top federal prosecutor for Western Washington less than an hour after he was sworn into office by federal judges, escalating tensions between the White House and the judiciary over the appointment of U.S. attorneys.
Rogoff, a former judge and experienced state and federal prosecutor, took the oath of office shortly before 8 a.m. on Wednesday at the U.S. Courthouse in Seattle after being unanimously appointed by the district’s federal judges.
Speaking after the incident, Rogoff said he had gone to the U.S. Attorney’s Office to meet Charles Neil Floyd, whose 120-day interim appointment had expired in February. While waiting in the office lobby, he received an email notifying him that the Trump administration had removed him from the position.
He disclosed that he is consulting legal advisers about the possibility of challenging the dismissal in court.
Under U.S. law, presidents nominate U.S. attorneys, who must be confirmed by the Senate. However, when an interim appointment expires before confirmation of a nominee, federal judges in the district are authorised to appoint a replacement.
The Trump administration has instead sought to keep some unconfirmed prosecutors in office by reassigning them to different positions while leaving the top role officially vacant.
Responding to the development, Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the president’s action in a social media post.
“District court judges can appoint a temporary U.S. Attorney, and POTUS can fire them,” Blanche wrote.
He further criticised the judges’ decision, saying they “abandoned the time-honored process of consultation with the administration so that the selected U.S. Attorney is qualified to serve in the administration.”
Trump had appointed Charles Neil Floyd as interim U.S. attorney in October last year but never submitted his nomination to the Senate for confirmation. After Floyd’s interim tenure expired, the administration redesignated him as first assistant U.S. attorney, allowing him to continue performing many of the office’s duties.
A federal appeals court panel questioned the legality of that arrangement in May, prompting the judges in Western Washington to open the position to applicants. Following a review by a bipartisan panel, all 17 active and senior judges in the district unanimously selected Rogoff for the role.
Reacting to his dismissal, Democratic Senator Patty Murray of Washington State condemned the administration’s decision, describing Rogoff as a highly qualified public servant.
“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,” Murray said.
She added, “This administration doesn’t want to deal with advice and consent—they just want to install cronies to carry out a corrupt political agenda.”
The latest dismissal follows similar disputes in other states. In recent months, the Trump administration removed court-appointed federal prosecutors in New Jersey, Virginia and northern New York after judges questioned the legality of previous appointments.
Despite his brief tenure, Rogoff said he accepted the position knowing he could be removed almost immediately.
“I’m really proud of my career,” he said.
“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.”
