Roger Rogoff, the top federal prosecutor in Seattle, was fired by the Trump administration less than an hour after being sworn in. Rogoff is now suing over his termination, which he claims was unconstitutional and disregarded the authority of the judges who appointed him to the position.

Background

Rogoff was unanimously appointed to the job of U.S. attorney for western Washington by the federal judges in the district. However, shortly after he was sworn in, he received an email from the Trump administration informing him that President Donald Trump had ordered his termination.

The lawsuit contends that the abrupt firing was unlawful and seeks a court order declaring that the firing “was unlawful and is void” and that Rogoff at least temporarily remains U.S. attorney. The case will test the Justice Department’s authority to fire federal prosecutors who are appointed by judges.

Context

U.S. attorneys, top federal prosecutors who oversee regional Justice Department outposts across the country, are typically nominated by the president and then confirmed by the Senate. In the case of a vacancy, attorneys general have the authority to name an interim U.S. attorney who can serve for 120 days, but when those temporary appointments expire, the judges in a judicial district are then empowered to name a U.S. attorney — as happened in Rogoff’s case — who can serve until the selection of a Senate-confirmed appointee.

The Trump administration has sought to leave unconfirmed prosecutors in their positions indefinitely or has moved to fire prosecutors appointed by the courts. The acting attorney general had foreshadowed the firing, writing on social media that the candidates did not have the president’s support and would suffer the same fate as others have when judges ignore Article II of the Constitution.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.