Trump fires U.S. attorney in Washington on heels of court appointment

Washington — President Trump on Wednesday fired Roger Rogoff from his post as the top federal prosecutor in Seattle shortly after federal judges in the area installed him in the role.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced Rogoff's firing in a social media post and accused the judges serving on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, who had appointed Rogoff as U.S. attorney, of failing to consult with the administration before making their selection.

"District court judges can appoint a temporary U.S. Attorney, and POTUS can fire them. WDWA judges abandoned the time-honored process of consultation with the administration so that the selected U.S. Attorney is qualified to serve in the administration," he wrote on X. "Roger Rogoff has been fired by the President."

Sen. Patty Murray, a Washington Democrat, criticized Mr. Trump for the firing.

"Roger Rogoff is eminently qualified — throughout his career, he has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to public service, and he was appointed legally by the federal judges in the Western District of Washington," she said in a statement. "He should have never been fired, but the president wants to appoint an out-of-touch extremist who will put Trump over the rule of law."

Murray accused the Trump administration of attempting to bypass the Senate's advice-and-consent role 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," she said.

Blanche's announcement came soon after judges in the Western District of Washington issued an order appointing Rogoff as U.S. attorney. They highlighted Rogoff's "deep ties" to the region and said he has "devoted his career to serving its citizens," including as a local and federal prosecutor, judge on the King County Superior Court and as director of the Washington State Office of Independent Investigation.

The Western District of Washington has not had a Senate-confirmed U.S. attorney since mid-2023, in the Biden administration. After Mr. Trump took office in January 2025, he fired Tessa Gorman as U.S. attorney, who had been serving temporarily before the district judges appointed her to the post in May 2024.

Mr. Trump has not yet announced a nominee to lead the U.S. Attorney's Office in Seattle. The district court announced in January that it would exercise its authority under a federal law governing U.S. attorney vacancies to appoint one.

The office is currently led by Charles N