By Fatma Younis
A federal judge in Los Angeles ruled Tuesday that Republican Bill Essayli is not legally serving as the top U.S. prosecutor for the Central District of California, marking another setback for the Trump administration’s strategy of installing acting U.S. attorneys beyond the 120-day limit set by federal law.
Judge cites appeals court precedent
U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright wrote that Essayli “is unlawfully serving as a ‘de facto’ United States Attorney.” The order will not take effect until the court rules on the government’s motion for a stay pending appeal. Essayli said he disagrees with the ruling, stating that the president and Attorney General “have every right to select supervisors within the Justice Department.”
Appointment history and prior disqualification
Essayli was appointed by the Trump administration last year as Acting U.S. Attorney for the Central District, which includes Los Angeles. Just before the 120-day mark, then-Attorney General Pam Bondi appointed him as First Assistant U.S. Attorney. In October 2025, Seabright disqualified Essayli from overseeing several criminal cases, concluding he had remained in the temporary role longer than allowed. The administration never appointed a replacement, effectively leaving Essayli as the top prosecutor.
Ninth Circuit ruling on similar case
Seabright’s latest order follows an August ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that found Sigal Chattah, the administration’s initial pick for U.S. attorney in Nevada, was unlawfully appointed. Seabright said Bondi’s appointment of Essayli as a special attorney and his designation as First Assistant U.S. Attorney “is identical” to the Chattah appointment deemed improper. A revised designation by current Attorney General Todd Blanche that reduced some of Essayli’s duties did not materially distinguish his role, the judge wrote.
Pattern of challenges to interim appointments
Judges have found several interim U.S. attorneys installed by the administration to be unlawfully serving. A New Jersey judge disqualified acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba last year, and a January ruling found John Sarcone was not lawfully serving as acting U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York.
Essayli’s political profile
Essayli, a former federal prosecutor and Republican state lawmaker, has been a visible figure in the administration’s conflicts with California over issues such as alleged health care fraud and claims of widespread noncitizen voting. He has aggressively prosecuted individuals protesting the administration’s immigration enforcement in Southern California.
