Appeals Court Rules Trump's Nevada U.S. Attorney Was Unlawfully Appointed — the Third Court to Reject the Same Workaround

A Ninth Circuit panel ruled on Monday, Aug. 17, 2026 that Sigal Chattah, the Trump administration's initial pick to run the U.S. Attorney's Office in Nevada, was unlawfully appointed to lead federal prosecutions there. Chattah was named interim U.S. attorney in 2025 but never received Senate confirmation; Nevada's two Democratic senators vowed to block her. The day before her 120-day interim term expired in July 2025, Chattah resigned, and then-Attorney General Pam Bondi named her first assistant U.S. attorney and said she could serve in an acting capacity.

Federal law caps interim U.S. attorneys at 120 days so the Senate, not the executive branch alone, decides who holds federal charging power in a district. The administration ran the same resign-and-redesignate maneuver for Bill Essayli in California and Alina Habba in New Jersey; courts rejected it both times, and Habba resigned in December after an adverse appeals ruling.

U.S. District Judge David Campbell had disqualified Chattah last fall from four felony prosecutions, finding she stayed in the job longer than the law allows, but stayed that ruling pending appeal. Chattah has continued in the office as first assistant. The White House nominated Las Vegas attorney George Kelesis in February.