Rogoff fired less than an hour after swearing-in, says he may sue
- President Donald Trump fired Roger Rogoff less than an hour after federal judges in Seattle unanimously appointed him as U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington.
- Rogoff was sworn in before 8 a.m. Wednesday and received a removal email while waiting to meet with the outgoing interim U.S. attorney, Charles Neil Floyd.
- Rogoff said he is consulting with other lawyers about suing over his firing.
- The Justice Department under Trump has sought to leave unconfirmed prosecutors in their positions indefinitely through novel personnel maneuvers, according to the Associated Press.
President Donald Trump fired Roger Rogoff, the newly appointed top federal prosecutor for Seattle, less than an hour after federal judges unanimously appointed him, Rogoff said Wednesday.
Rogoff, a former judge and veteran state and federal prosecutor, was sworn in as U.S. attorney before 8 a.m. at the U.S. courthouse in downtown Seattle. He said he then went to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and asked to meet with Charles Neil Floyd, whose 120-day interim term in the position ended in February.
While waiting in a lobby, Rogoff said, he received an email from the Trump administration informing him he’d been removed. He is consulting with other lawyers about suing over his firing, he said.
Presidents normally appoint U.S. attorneys, the top federal prosecutor in each judicial district, and the positions require Senate confirmation except in temporary appointments. When temporary appointments expire before a nominee is confirmed, the judges in a judicial district can name a U.S. attorney.
But under Trump, the Justice Department has sought to leave unconfirmed prosecutors in their positions indefinitely, often through novel personnel maneuvers, the Associated Press reported.