Roger Rogoff Sues Trump After 54-Minute Tenure as U.S. Attorney

Former U.S. Attorney Roger Rogoff filed a federal lawsuit in Seattle on July 21, 2026, seeking a preliminary injunction to void his termination and reinstate him to office. Rogoff was unanimously appointed by federal district judges to the Western District of Washington on July 15, but President Donald Trump fired him via email just 54 minutes after he was sworn in.

Rogoff alleges the removal was illegal and violates the Constitution's Appointments Clause, as well as federal statutes that allow district judges to fill vacancies while Senate-confirmed nominees are unavailable. He contends that court-appointed prosecutors should serve until a permanent successor is confirmed.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and the U.S. Department of Justice defended the firing, asserting that the district court judges bypassed the traditional consultation process with the administration. The administration maintains that the removal fell entirely within presidential authority. This conflict follows a broader pattern of the administration terminating court-appointed prosecutors in states including New York, New Jersey, Nevada, and Virginia, while courts have previously deemed some administration-installed lawyers, such as Alina Habba and Lindsey Halligan, to be unlawful appointments.