President Trump fired Roger Rogoff, the newly appointed U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington, within 54 minutes of his swearing-in on Wednesday morning, setting up a potential legal battle over the president’s power to remove judges’ picks for federal prosecutor positions.
Rogoff, a former federal prosecutor and state court judge, was appointed by the district’s 17 active federal judges under a federal statute that allows them to fill a U.S. attorney vacancy when no Senate-confirmed nominee has been advanced. Chief U.S. District Judge David Estudillo issued an order Wednesday morning swearing Rogoff in, but by 8:24 a.m., the White House had terminated him via email from the presidential personnel office.
The judges appointed Rogoff after Trump failed to secure Senate confirmation for his preferred choice, Charles Neil Floyd, a Tacoma immigration judge whom Trump had installed as interim U.S. Attorney in October 2025 and later as “first assistant” to sidestep the confirmation process. Floyd’s appointment faced opposition from Washington’s senior senator, Patty Murray, and immigration advocates. The Western District had been without a Senate-confirmed U.S. Attorney for three years, triggering the judges’ authority under 28 U.S.C. § 546 to make their own appointment.
Rogoff told Reuters he is considering pursuing legal action after his firing. “To me, the rule of law is everything for the way these things work,” he said, adding that he has retained lawyers and is weighing options. The Spokesman-Review reported that Rogoff told The Seattle Times he is preparing to sue Trump and the Justice Department to regain the position.
The firing is not isolated. The Trump administration has removed other court-appointed U.S. attorneys in recent months, including Donald Kinsella, who was appointed by federal judges in the Northern District of New York in February 2026, sworn in the same day, and fired by the White House within hours. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Trump’s former defense attorney, has publicly defended such removals, stating in February, “Judges don’t pick U.S. Attorneys, @POTUS does,” and citing Article 2 of the Constitution.
Rogoff, a University of Washington School of Law graduate, began his career in the King County prosecuting attorney’s office handling sexual assault and domestic violence cases. He served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Western District working on violent crime, gang, and firearms matters, and was appointed a King County Superior Court judge by Governor Jay Inslee in 2013. Most recently, he served as director of Washington’s Office of Independent Investigations, created to provide independent reviews of police deadly force incidents.
Floyd continues to lead the office as first assistant U.S. attorney, a role that does not require Senate confirmation. Emily Langlie, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, confirmed in a statement that Floyd continues in that position. The White House did not respond to requests for comment.
Sources
- Reuters — Rogoff’s statement that he is considering legal action and his background as a former federal prosecutor and state court judge
- The Seattle Times — Details on Rogoff’s appointment by judges, Floyd’s role as Trump’s appointee, the three-year vacancy, and the judges’ authority under federal statute
- The Spokesman-Review — Rogoff’s statement that he is working on legal action
- Bloomberg Law News — Confirmation of Rogoff’s firing and Rogoff’s legal team’s involvement
- The New Republic — The 54-minute timeline and the federal statute allowing judges to appoint
- KING5.com — Confirmation of the swearing-in and firing within an hour
