President Donald Trump removed Roger Rogoff as interim U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington less than an hour after federal judges selected him on July 15, 2026, according to the Associated Press and The Washington Post. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the decision in a post on X, arguing that while judges can appoint an interim prosecutor, the president can dismiss that appointee.
President Donald Trump dismissed Roger Rogoff as the top federal prosecutor in Seattle less than an hour after the Western District of Washington’s federal judges selected him to serve as interim U.S. attorney on July 15, 2026, according to the Associated Press and The Washington Post.
Rogoff—a veteran prosecutor and former Washington state judge—was chosen by the district’s court in an order issued by its panel of active and senior judges, which the Associated Press described as including 17 judges. (apnews.com)
The termination, delivered by email, came while Rogoff was at or near the U.S. attorney’s office shortly after he was sworn in, according to local reporting cited by The Washington Post. (washingtonpost.com) Bloomberg Law reported the notice came from the presidential personnel office. (news.bloomberglaw.com)
Blanche, who has been serving as acting attorney general, defended the move on X, saying federal judges have authority to appoint a temporary U.S. attorney but that the president may remove that person. (apnews.com)
The episode is the latest in a broader clash over U.S. attorney posts in districts where the administration’s temporary selections have faced legal challenges or where no Senate-confirmed prosecutor has been installed. Earlier in 2026, federal judges in the Eastern District of Virginia appointed longtime attorney James W. Hundley as interim U.S. attorney under a statute that allows courts to fill vacancies, court records show, and The Washington Post reported the Justice Department then moved quickly to remove him. (vaed.uscourts.gov)
In New York, The Washington Post reported that Donald T. Kinsella, who was appointed by federal judges to lead the Northern District of New York, was also swiftly fired by the White House in February. (washingtonpost.com)
Sen. Patty Murray, a Washington Democrat, criticized the firing, according to the Associated Press. (apnews.com)
