Roger rogoff trump administration dismissal
Roger Rogoff’s historic 54-minute tenure sparks constitutional showdown over presidential authority and judicial appointment powers
In an unprecedented move that has ignited a fierce legal and political battle, President Donald Trump fired Roger Rogoff as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington less than an hour after he was unanimously appointed by the district’s federal judges on Wednesday -2-6.
Rogoff, a former King County Superior Court judge and veteran prosecutor with 26 years of experience, was sworn in shortly before 8 a.m. PDT at the federal courthouse in downtown Seattle. He then proceeded to the U.S. Attorney’s Office to meet with Charles Neil Floyd, the Trump administration’s preferred candidate whose interim term had expired in February. As Rogoff waited in the lobby, he received an email from the administration informing him of his immediate termination -1-2-5.
“I’m really proud of my career,” Rogoff told the Associated Press following his dismissal. “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” -2-8.
The Constitutional Clash
At the heart of this dispute lies a fundamental question: who has the authority to appoint and remove U.S. attorneys when the president fails to nominate a Senate-confirmed candidate?
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the president’s action on social media, stating: “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” -1-3-7.
However, the federal judges who appointed Rogoff — 17 active and senior judges appointed by five different presidents (ten Democrats and seven Republicans) — unanimously determined that the appointment was legally proper under federal statute -2-3.
The legal mechanism at play involves U.S. Code 546, which allows the attorney general to appoint an interim U.S. attorney for up to 120 days. When that period expires without a Senate-confirmed nominee, federal district judges may appoint someone to serve until the vacancy is filled -6-9.
The Floyd Controversy
The vacancy arose when Trump named Floyd, a former immigration judge, as interim U.S. attorney last October but never forwarded his nomination to the Senate -2-8. When Floyd’s 120-day interim term expired in February, the administration employed a controversial tactic: Floyd was redesignated as “first assistant U.S. attorney” while the top position remained officially vacant -2-6.
This maneuver, which the administration has attempted in other federal districts, drew skepticism from a U.S. appeals court panel in May -2. In response, the Western Washington federal judges opened an application process and established a bipartisan panel to review candidates -2-6.
Political Firestorm
Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.), who had opposed Floyd’s appointment, strongly condemned Rogoff’s firing.
“Roger Rogoff is eminently qualified — 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 in a 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. The people of Washington state deserve someone in this role who will enforce the law fairly and responsibly — not some Trump administration sock puppet” -4-8-10.
A Pattern of Controversy
The Rogoff dismissal follows a pattern of similar actions by the Trump administration. In December, Alina Habba resigned as U.S. Attorney for New Jersey after an appeals court ruled she was serving unlawfully -2. In Virginia, Lindsey Halligan left her position after a judge concluded her appointment was unlawful -2.
Federal judges in New York also appointed Donald Kinsella as U.S. Attorney in February 2026, only to have the White House fire him within hours -6-10.
What’s Next
Rogoff has retained legal counsel and is exploring a lawsuit challenging his dismissal -2-7-9. Legal experts suggest this could result in a lengthy court battle over whether statutory provisions insulate court-appointed U.S. attorneys from presidential removal -9.
“The rule of law requires that prosecutorial decisions remain free from political interference, and that lawful judicial appointments be respected,” Rogoff said. He noted he remains “grateful for the confidence placed in me and proud of the career professionals who continue to serve the people of Western Washington” -6.
Rogoff, who served 20 years as a state prosecutor, six years as a federal prosecutor, and most recently as director of Washington’s Office of Independent Investigations, described serving as U.S. attorney as “the best job there is” for a prosecutor -2-5.
The Western District of Washington has now been without a permanent U.S. attorney since 2023, and the confrontation between the judicial branch and the executive branch over the position shows no signs of resolution -10-12.
This article includes reporting from The Guardian, Associated Press, The Seattle Times, and other sources covering this developing story.
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