Federal judge says Bill Essayli not lawfully serving as Los Angeles U.S. attorney

A U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright ruled on Tuesday that Bill Essayli is not legally serving as the United States Attorney for the Central District of California, which includes Los Angeles. The judge described Essayli’s role as a “de facto” U.S. attorney that exceeds the 120-day limit for acting appointments under federal law.

Essayli, a former state lawmaker appointed by the Trump administration as Acting U.S. Attorney last year and later designated First Assistant U.S. Attorney by then-Attorney General Pam Bondi, said he disagrees with the order. > "The president and Attorney General have every right to select supervisors within the Justice Department," he said in a statement, adding that the issue will ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court and that he intends to continue in his current role pending appeal.

The ruling follows a similar appellate decision in Nevada, where the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found the administration’s appointment of Sigal Chattah to be unlawful. Seabright noted that Bondi’s designation of Essayli mirrors the earlier Nevada appointment and that a recent redesignation by Attorney General Todd Blanche does not materially change the situation.

The order will not take effect until the court rules on the government’s request for a stay pending appeal. Judges in other districts have also ruled that interim U.S. attorneys appointed by the administration were serving unlawfully, including cases in New Jersey and New York.