A Record-Short Tenure Ends in Court

A former federal prosecutor who served as U.S. attorney for just 54 minutes is now suing the Trump administration, arguing that his dismissal was unlawful.

Roger Rogoff was sworn in as the top federal prosecutor for the Western District of Washington before learning less than an hour later that President Donald Trump had removed him from the position.

Rogoff Challenges His Dismissal

Rogoff’s lawsuit asks a federal court to reinstate him until a permanent U.S. attorney is nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate.

He argues that his appointment was made legally by a panel of federal judges after the position had remained vacant for months, following procedures outlined in federal law.

Justice Department Defends Trump’s Authority

The Justice Department maintains that the president has the authority to remove court-appointed U.S. attorneys.

Officials also criticized the federal judges who selected Rogoff, saying they did not properly consult with the Justice Department before making the appointment.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said that while judges can appoint temporary U.S. attorneys under certain circumstances, the president still has the power to dismiss them.

Rogoff’s attorneys argue that his firing violated both federal law and the Appointments Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

According to the lawsuit, allowing the president to immediately remove a court-appointed U.S. attorney would undermine Congress’ system for filling vacancies when Senate-confirmed nominees are not yet in place.

Part of a Larger Dispute

Rogoff is believed to be the first court-appointed U.S. attorney to sue the Trump administration after being removed from office.

His case follows several similar disputes in which federal judges appointed temporary prosecutors after vacancies arose, only for the Trump administration to dismiss those appointees shortly after they took office.

The lawsuit could become an important legal test of the balance of power between the presidency, Congress, and the federal courts over who controls temporary appointments to key Justice Department positions.