Federal Judge Rules Bill Essayli Unlawfully Serving as LA U.S. Attorney

Federal Judge Rules Bill Essayli Unlawfully Serving as LA U.S. Attorney

by

Bill Essayli is not legally serving as the top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday, dealing yet another blow to the Trump administration’s strategy of installing handpicked acting U.S. attorneys to bypass the Senate confirmation process.

The decision by U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright marks the latest hurdle for federal appointments designed to outlast the 120-day limit set by federal law. According to abc7.com, Seabright wrote in his order that Essayli is unlawfully serving as a ‘de facto’ United States Attorney.

The order will not take immediate effect, remaining on hold until the court rules on the government’s pending motion for a stay pending appeal.

The Legal Battlefield Over Interim Appointments

The Trump administration appointed Essayli last year as the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, a jurisdiction covering Los Angeles. Just before the 120-day statutory mark, then-U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi appointed Essayli as First Assistant U.S. Attorney. When the administration declined to name another acting U.S. attorney, Essayli effectively remained at the helm of the office.

Seabright previously disqualified Essayli from overseeing several criminal cases in October 2025 after determining he had overstayed the temporary role. Tuesday’s ruling relies heavily on an August appeals court decision. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals determined that Sigal Chattah, the administration’s choice for U.S. attorney in Nevada, was also unlawfully appointed.

Federal Judge Rules Bill Essayli Unlawfully Serving as LA U.S. Attorney

Seabright noted that Bondi’s appointment of Essayli as a special attorney and his designation as a first assistant is identical to the Chattah appointment. Even a revised designation order issued by U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche failed to satisfy the court.

Judges across the country have pushed back against similar interim appointments. A federal judge in New Jersey disqualified acting U.S. attorney Alina Habba last year, and a judge ruled in January that John Sarcone was not lawfully serving as acting U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York.

High-Stakes Clashes in Southern California

Despite the legal questions surrounding his title, Essayli has remained a prominent figure in federal enforcement in Southern California. He has spearheaded aggressive federal scrutiny on California policies, ranging from investigations into alleged health care fraud to disputes over noncitizen voting. The state has actively pushed back against federal efforts to prevent election officials from counting ballots cast by approximately 20,000 individuals whom the Trump administration suspects are not U.S. citizens.

Before his appointment, Essayli served as a Republican state lawmaker known for criticizing COVID-19 restrictions and opposing California’s sanctuary state policies. Since taking the federal prosecutor post, his office has aggressively pursued individuals participating in protests against ramped-up immigration enforcement across the region.

Reacting to Tuesday’s ruling, Essayli maintained that he disagrees with the court’s conclusion. He argued that the president and the attorney general have every right to select supervisors within the Justice Department.

Ultimately, this question will be decided by the Supreme Court, and I look forward to serving in my current role until then, Essayli said in a statement reported by abc7.com.

More on this story: Judge J. Michael Seabright Rules Essayli Unlawfully Serving, Bars Him from Two Cases · Judge Considers Special Master for California Noncitizen Voter Claims

Bill Essayli unlawfully serving in his role, federal judge rules

Worth a look

Read next