Sigal Chattah, a U.S. attorney appointed by President Donald Trump for Nevada, from overseeing several criminal cases due to legal challenges over her appointment status.
U.S. District Judge David G. Campbell disqualified Chattah from four criminal cases, citing that her acting appointment exceeded the 120-day legal limit for temporary service without Senate confirmation. The judge deemed her continued involvement in these cases unlawful and ordered government attorneys to confirm within a week that she would no longer influence the prosecutions.
Chattah, who previously chaired the Nevada chapter of the Republican National Committee, had been serving as acting U.S. attorney since March 2025 and had received an extension from the Trump administration. The ruling highlighted the administration's controversial strategy of appointing acting U.S. attorneys without Senate confirmation to bypass the traditional bipartisan approval process, a move that faced similar legal setbacks in California and New Jersey.
This decision follows a pattern including the removal of other Trump-nominated or affiliated attorneys deemed to have occupied their positions unlawfully. For example, Alina Habba, a former Trump personal lawyer appointed as acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey, was also ruled to be unlawfully appointed and removed from her duties by the courts.
The removal of Chattah and other Trump-appointed attorneys has sparked political controversy demonstrating continuing tensions over the politicization of the Department of Justice. Critics argue these moves undermine the independence and integrity of federal prosecutors, while supporters claim the appointments reflect necessary reforms. The Justice Department has so far not commented publicly on Chattah’s disqualification.