White House Rapidly Fires Seattle Judges’ US Attorney Pick (2)

Key Points:

• The White House swiftly fired Roger Rogoff, the judicially appointed U.S. attorney for Seattle, less than an hour after his unanimous selection by the Western District of Washington court, setting up a potential legal battle over the executive branch’s authority to terminate such prosecutors.
• Rogoff, a veteran prosecutor with prior Democratic appointments, has retained legal counsel and is considering all legal options, arguing that the president’s removal of him without Senate consent is unconstitutional and illegal.
• The firing follows a pattern of tension between the judiciary and the Department of Justice over U.S. attorney appointments, with judges in Western Washington taking a more aggressive stance by appointing prosecutors willing to challenge Trump-era interim appointments bypassing Senate confirmation.
• The administration had installed an interim U.S. attorney, Charles Neil Floyd, who was later downgraded after exceeding his 120-day term, and the court appointed Rogoff due to the prolonged vacancy and lack of a presidential nominee, prompting the White House to act quickly to remove him.
• Rogoff emphasized the importance of prosecutorial independence from political interference and expressed pride in serving Western Washington, while the incident highlights ongoing conflicts between the judiciary and the executive over appointment and removal powers.