Federal prosecutor in Seattle sues Trump, Blanche for firing him an hour after he was sworn-in

A federal prosecutor in Seattle sued President Donald Trump and his administration Tuesday, after they fired him last week after just an hour on the job, requesting his dismissal be overturned because it allegedly overstepped the president's powers. 

The White House fired Roger Rogoff as the top prosecutor for the Western District of Washington last week, approximately an hour after he was unanimously appointed by federal judges to fill a vacancy in the U.S. attorney’s office and sworn into office. 

The complaint names the president and acting-Attorney General Todd Blanche, and argues Rogoff’s firing was unlawful because Trump lacks the authority to “nullify the district court’s appointment power” granted by the Appointments Clause.  

“By purporting to fire Mr. Rogoff—and apparently committing to firing anyone else a district court appoints without ‘the support of POTUS’ — the President has attempted to negate Congress’s exercise of its constitutionally enumerated power,” Rogoff's attorneys wrote.

The lawsuit asks a federal judge to reinstate Rogoff as the "validly appointed" pick until a successor is chosen through the presidential nomination and Senate confirmation process, according to The Hill.

The issue comes after Trump's interim U.S. attorney's 120-day limit expired without Senate confirmation, which opened the role for district court judges to make their choice for the role, who would “serve until the vacancy is filled."

The Justice Department has defended the president's right to fire U.S. attorneys, maintaining that he has the authority to do so regardless of who appointed them.

“Consistent with other firings of this type, this is wholly within the President’s authority,” a DOJ spokesperson told The Hill.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.