Judge finds L.A.’s top federal prosecutor is unlawfully serving, bars him from two cases

Key Points:

• A federal judge ruled that Bill Essayli is unlawfully serving as Los Angeles’ top federal prosecutor, ordering his disqualification from overseeing two criminal cases while delaying the disqualification pending a possible appeal.
• Judge J. Michael Seabright found that the Justice Department unlawfully delegated powers to Essayli, effectively making him a de facto U.S. attorney without Senate confirmation, rejecting the department’s revised delegation of authority.
• The ruling is part of a broader legal dispute over the Trump administration’s appointments of unconfirmed prosecutors nationwide, with similar cases leading to dismissals and resignations in other districts.
• Despite the disqualification from specific cases, the judge declined to dismiss indictments against defendants, and the Justice Department plans to appeal, warning of potential chaos if the disqualification takes immediate effect.
• Bill Essayli, a former California Republican Assembly member, has aggressively pursued cases aligned with Trump administration priorities, and no permanent U.S. attorney for the Central District of California has been nominated as of the ruling.