Who is Roger Rogoff? U.S. lawyer fired by Trump files lawsuit after being fired over 54 minutes
Roger Rogoff was fired by the Trump administration after just 54 minutes as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington. Instead of quietly stepping aside, he went to court and argued that the firing violated federal law.
The lawsuit sets off a new legal battle over whether the president can remove a court-appointed U.S. attorney before a Senate-confirmed successor takes office.
The case could influence how future administrations handle judicial appointments and raise eyebrows because no U.S. attorney has previously been known to challenge such removals in court.
Trump administration U.S. attorneys explain lawsuit
Roger Rogoff is a former prosecutor and judge with decades of legal experience. Prior to that, he served as a state prosecutor for about 20 years and a federal prosecutor for another six years –washington Gov. Jay Inslee appointed him to King County Superior Court in 2013. After leaving the bench, he returned to private practice.
Last week, a U.S. District Court judge for the Western District of Washington unanimously selected Rogoff to serve as U.S. attorney after the Justice Department’s 120-day interim appointment period expired. However, the Trump administration fired him less than an hour after he was sworn in.
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Why are the Trump administration’s U.S. attorney lawsuits different?
Rogoff argued that federal law allows courts to appoint us The attorney remains in office until a Senate-confirmed successor fills the vacancy. According to his lawsuit, the immediate removal of the court-appointed prosecutor would allow the administration to avoid the Senate confirmation process if needed.
A Justice Department spokesman defended the decision, saying: “The district court did not coordinate with the Department of Justice on this choice. As with other such firings, this is entirely within the presidential authority.”
The government has replaced several U.S. attorneys in recent months, including officials in New Jersey, New York and Virginia. However, Rogoff appears to be the first to challenge this dismissal in court.
Also read: Trump fired US attorney after just 54 minutes in office; now he’s fighting back in court
Todd Branch defends firing as legal action begins
After Rogoff was removed from office, acting Attorney General Todd Branch also posted on X defending the government’s decision.
“A district court judge can appoint a temporary U.S. attorney and the president can fire them. [Western District of Washington] The justices abandoned the time-honored process of negotiating with the government so that selected U.S. attorneys would be eligible to serve in the government,” Branch wrote.
When asked for comment, the White House referred questions to the Justice Department. Rogoff’s lawyer, meanwhile, did not respond to requests for comment.
The lawsuit now puts the spotlight on a legal question that has never been tested in court before: whether president A court-appointed U.S. attorney can be removed immediately, or if the official remains protected until the Senate confirms a permanent replacement.
