The federal public defender’s office in Los Angeles filed a motion Friday to disqualify acting U.S. Atty. Bill Essayli, arguing that President Trump’s pick to serve as the top federal prosecutor in Southern California is unlawfully occupying his post.

Essayli, a former Riverside County assemblyman, was appointed by U.S. Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi in April, and his term was set to expire in late July unless he was confirmed by the U.S. Senate or a panel of federal judges. But the White House never moved to nominate him to a permanent role, instead opting to use an unprecedented legal maneuver to shift his title to “acting,” extending his term another nine months without any confirmation process.

Since taking office, Essayli has doggedly pursued Trump’s agenda, championing hard line immigration enforcement in Southern California, often aping the president’s language verbatim at news conferences. His tenure has sparked discord in the office, with dozens of prosecutors quitting in the face of his belligerent, scream-first management style.
...
A Times investigation last month found that his aggressive pursuit of charges against people protesting immigration enforcement in Southern California has led to weak cases being rejected again and again by grand juries. A number of others have been dismissed.

... California Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff are both opposed to Essayli’s appointment and could have derailed any nomination by withholding what is known as their “blue slip,” or acknowledgment of support for a nominee.

The procedural blockades have drawn Trump’s ire, and the president has challenged Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley to do away with honoring the “blue slip” tradition. Grassley has held firm, but Trump has threatened litigation.

Legal experts called the White House’s move to keep Essayli in office unprecedented last month, and warned it could impact criminal cases.
...
Trump administration has used similar strategies to keep political allies in power in U.S. Attorney’s offices in Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico and the Northern District of New York. But legal challenges are mounting. Last week, a federal judge ruled that Alina Habba has been illegally occupying her seat in New Jersey since early July, although that order was put on hold pending appeal.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-08-29/public-defender-moves-to-disqualify-bill-essayli

Trump's pick for U.S. Attorney poses an existential threat for equality and the rule of law in California.

A former right-wing assemblymember and former federal prosecutor under Donald Trump, Essayli is now the interim U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California. But behind the title lies a troubling pattern: one of weaponizing public office to target immigrants, LGBTQ+ youth, labor leaders, environmental regulators, and political opponents. If confirmed to the position permanently, Essayli will gain unchecked power to enforce his biased vision of federal law across one of the most diverse and populous regions in the country.