Judge reinstates Rogoff as U.S. attorney in Washington

A federal judge ruled Thursday that President Donald Trump could not remove Roger Rogoff from the U.S. attorney post for Washington’s Western District after a federal court appointed him, reinstating Rogoff and barring the administration from interfering with his work while a preliminary injunction is in effect. U.S. District Judge Stanley Bastian said the president cannot unilaterally remove a U.S. attorney appointed by a federal district court. He found that Rogoff has lawfully held the office since taking the oath on July 15, 2026, and ruled that Charles Neil Floyd, whom the administration had placed in the role, was not the district’s U.S. attorney and had been improperly given that authority. The ruling followed a dispute over who would lead the office after the district’s judges appointed Rogoff. He was notified by email of his removal less than an hour after being sworn in. Rogoff sued the administration, challenging the removal and the authority given to Floyd. Bastian’s preliminary injunction bars federal defendants from removing Rogoff, obstructing his ability to carry out his duties or treating another official as the U.S. attorney while the order remains in effect.