A federal appeals court ruled Monday that Sigal Chattah, the Trump administration’s top federal prosecutor in Nevada, was unlawfully appointed to her position in violation of federal law. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a lower court’s disqualification of Chattah, barring her from overseeing criminal prosecutions in the district.
Then-Attorney General Pam Bondi appointed Chattah as interim U.S. attorney in April 2025, bypassing the standard Senate confirmation process. The appointment method became the focus of legal challenges that ultimately reached the appellate court.
Judge Eric D. Miller, a Trump appointee, wrote the unanimous panel opinion rejecting the Justice Department’s argument that the appointment was valid under federal law. The ruling centered on how the Federal Vacancies Reform Act permits the attorney general to fill vacant positions temporarily—a statute the Trump administration had relied upon to sidestep Senate confirmation.
Federal law allows the attorney general to appoint an interim U.S. attorney for 120 days while a vacancy exists. After that period expires, a federal district court may appoint its own U.S. attorney to serve until the vacancy is filled through Senate confirmation. The Ninth Circuit found that the DOJ’s method of keeping Chattah in the role violated these statutory limits and the appointment process Congress established.
The disqualification affects multiple ongoing criminal prosecutions in Nevada. Chattah’s removal from overseeing these cases creates a gap that must be filled by either a Senate-confirmed appointee or a court-appointed interim attorney—a process that could delay prosecutions or require reassignment to other prosecutors.
The ruling reflects broader tensions over interim U.S. attorney appointments during the Trump administration. Multiple federal courts have challenged similar appointments in other districts, finding that the administration’s strategy to keep politically aligned prosecutors in place without Senate approval conflicted with federal statute. In at least two other instances, judges have disqualified interim U.S. attorneys after their 120-day terms expired, according to legal analyses from early 2026.
Chattah, a staunch Trump ally and conservative lawyer, had been a prominent figure in Nevada politics before her appointment. Her disqualification removes a key administration figure from federal law enforcement in the state, a position typically held by a Senate-confirmed attorney or a court-appointed interim successor.
Sources
- Reuters — the Ninth Circuit’s ruling on Chattah’s unlawful appointment and the federal law governing interim appointments
- The New York Times — Judge Eric D. Miller’s opinion and the Trump administration’s strategy on interim appointments
- The Nevada Independent — the panel’s unanimous decision and the disqualification’s effect on prosecutions
- U.S. Congress Legislative Service — the Federal Vacancies Reform Act and the 120-day limit on interim appointments
- News outlets (8 News Now, Review-Journal, The Hill) — the appeals court ruling and disqualification order
