Appeals court says Trump-appointed US attorney in Nevada can’t legally serve in the role

A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Sigal Chattah was not lawfully serving as the top federal prosecutor in Nevada, upholding a lower court's disqualification of her from supervising several criminal prosecutions. The court rejected the Justice Department's arguments that her designation as first assistant U.S. attorney automatically made her acting U.S. attorney, or that the attorney general could delegate the office's full powers to her. Chattah had been appointed interim U.S. attorney in April 2025 for a 120-day term, resigned just before it expired in July 2025, and was then named first assistant U.S. attorney by then-Attorney General Pam Bondi. The Trump administration has since nominated George Kelesis, who must go through Senate confirmation, while Chattah has continued serving under the first assistant title during the appeal. Similar attempts to keep temporary appointees in place beyond the statutory limit have also failed in New Jersey, where Alina Habba was disqualified and later resigned, and remain contested in California with Bill Essayli.