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Federal Appeals Court Rules Sigal Chattah Was Unlawfully Appointed as Nevada's Top Federal Prosecutor

A federal appeals court on Monday upheld a ruling that Sigal Chattah was not validly leading the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Nevada. The court found that the administration's attempt to bypass Senate confirmation by designating Chattah as first assistant U.S. attorney allowed her to serve as acting U.S. attorney indefinitely was a violation of federal law. Sigal Chattah, a prominent Nevada conservative, served as the interim U.S. attorney for a 120-day term. When that term expired, the administration attempted to keep her in charge by giving her the title of first assistant. However, the court ruled that an Attorney General can only designate a first assistant to serve as acting U.S. attorney if that person held the first-assistant position when the vacancy occurred. The ruling is a setback for the administration's efforts to install political allies in top prosecutor positions without congressional approval. While the court did not dismiss the criminal cases Chattah oversaw, it ruled that she could no longer supervise them.

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