In a surprising move, President Trump on Wednesday dismissed U.S. Attorney Roger Rogoff less than an hour following his appointment as the leading federal prosecutor for Washington state’s Western District.
Rogoff, who took his oath of office just before 8 a.m. Pacific Time in downtown Seattle, shared with The Associated Press that he received an unexpected email from the Trump administration. This email, while he was still in the U.S. Attorney’s Office lobby, succinctly informed him of his termination.
Previously, in October, Trump had appointed Charles Neil Floyd, a former immigration judge, as the interim U.S. attorney for the district. Eventually, when Floyd’s 120-day interim period concluded in February, Trump modified his title to first assistant U.S. attorney.
A panel from the U.S. appeals court had questioned the legality of Trump’s maneuver, prompting action. Consequently, 17 active and former federal judges from the district came together unanimously, appointing Rogoff—a former King County Superior Court judge and previous assistant U.S. attorney for the district—to the role.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Wednesday defended the president’s move to fire Rogoff, saying the group of judges in the Evergreen State “abandoned the time-honored process of consultation with the administration so that the selected U.S. Attorney is qualified to serve in the administration.”
But Democratic Sen. Patty Murray (Wash.) scolded the Justice Department for Rogoff’s dismissal, calling the former superior court judge “eminently qualified” and labeling Floyd as an
“out-of-touch extremist.”
The six-term senator added in statement, “This administration doesn’t want to deal with advice and consent — they just want to install cronies to carry out a corrupt political agenda. The people of Washington state deserve someone in this role who will enforce the law fairly and responsibly — not some Trump administration sock puppet.”
Rogoff, meanwhile, told the AP on Wednesday that he is “really proud” of his career despite the setback. The experienced judge and prosecutor also noted he is consulting with other lawyers about taking legal action against the administration.
“The fact that the judges of this district — most of whom I’ve spent my career appearing in front of, or trying cases against, or working with — believed that I was the right person to do this work is just really humbling and amazing,” he added.