Trump administration seeks to keep US Attorneys in place before court can act

Source: msn/Reuters

12h


WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Donald Trump's administration has extended Nevada's Interim U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah's term, aiming to prevent a federal court from rejecting her permanent appointment amid mounting opposition from critics including more than 100 retired federal and state judges, a Justice Department official said.

Chattah, an Israel-born former Republican National Committeewoman, has been serving in the interim role since April. The 120-day deadline for her term is set to expire on Tuesday, which would open the door for the federal court in Nevada to appoint a U.S. Attorney since Trump has yet to nominate anyone for the role.

The Justice Department is also naming Bill Essayli as the acting U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, which includes Los Angeles, the official said. The move will allow Essayli, whose 120-day interim term was set to expire on Wednesday, to continue in the role for another 210 days. Essayli, a former Republican in the California State Assembly, has also aligned himself closely with Trump. The department designated Chattah Acting U.S. Attorney for Nevada under the federal Vacancies Reform Act, the department official said. Chattah announced her new role on X on Tuesday, adding "Rinse and repeat: The law is the ONLY thing that makes ALL people equal."

Federal courts have so far rejected two of Trump's other U.S. Attorney picks: John Sarcone in the Northern District of New York and Trump's former personal lawyer Alina Habba in New Jersey. In both of those cases, the Justice Department used a variety of different legal maneuvers to keep them in place.

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-administration-seeks-to-keep-us-attorneys-in-place-before-court-can-act/ar-AA1Jx5Cw