A federal judge has ruled that the Justice Department’s top prosecutor in Los Angeles was illegally serving in his role, dealing another blow to a series of temporary appointments made under the Trump administration.
U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright concluded Tuesday that Bill Essayli, appointed in April by President Donald Trump to lead the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, exceeded the legal limit of his temporary tenure. Under federal law, interim U.S. attorneys can serve for only 120 days unless a permanent appointment is made.
According to Seabright, Essayli should have vacated the position by July 31. Instead, Attorney General Pam Bondi attempted to extend his term through 2026 — a move the judge said broke federal appointment laws.
“Simply stated: Essayli unlawfully assumed the role of Acting United States Attorney for the Central District of California,” Seabright wrote. “Essayli may not perform the functions and duties of the United States Attorney … He is disqualified from serving in that role.”
The Justice Department declined to comment, citing ongoing litigation. Essayli, however, brushed off the ruling in a post on X, claiming it would have little practical impact on his day-to-day authority.
“Nothing is changing,” he wrote.
But Seabright’s decision leaves open the possibility that the judges of the Central District of California could appoint someone else to fill the U.S. attorney role until a permanent nominee is confirmed by the Senate. Federal law allows local judges to step in and make such appointments once an interim term expires.
This marks the third time in recent weeks that a court has ruled against a top federal prosecutor installed by Bondi in an acting capacity. Earlier rulings affected prosecutors in New Jersey and Nevada, and the implications may extend further — particularly to Lindsey Halligan, the Trump-backed prosecutor in Virginia who recently brought indictments against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
The challenge to Essayli’s authority came from three defendants indicted by his office after his term had already expired. They asked the court to dismiss their charges, arguing that Essayli’s continued role was illegal.
Seabright stopped short of throwing out their indictments, ruling that they would stand because other, lawfully appointed prosecutors also signed them.
That distinction could become a problem for Halligan, who was the only attorney to sign the Comey and James indictments after career prosecutors in her office refused to do so. U.S. District Judge Cameron Currie, a Clinton appointee from South Carolina, is set to hear arguments on Halligan’s appointment next month.
The case landed in Seabright’s Hawaii courtroom to avoid conflicts with judges in Los Angeles, where Essayli oversees prosecutions. Similar steps were taken in the cases involving the New Jersey, Nevada, and Eastern Virginia prosecutors.
The ruling marks another blow to the Trump administration’s strategy of placing loyalists in key federal posts, signaling that legal limits on temporary appointments are not just technicalities—they are enforceable checks on political maneuvering.
