Federal Judge Disqualifies Acting US Attorney Bill Essayli in Southern California

Judge Rules Acting US Attorney Unlawfully Serving

A federal judge on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, ruled that Bill Essayli, the acting U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, has been unlawfully serving in his role and disqualified him from supervising criminal prosecutions in several cases. The decision, issued by U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright of Hawaii, marks the third such ruling against a Trump-appointed acting U.S. Attorney in recent months.

Judge Seabright concluded that Essayli's authority as an interim appointee expired on July 29, 2025, exceeding the 120-day limit set by the Federal Vacancies Reform Act for Attorney General appointments without Senate confirmation. The court determined that Essayli's installation amounted to an 'end-run' around Congress' constitutional power to vet and confirm key justice officials.

Details of the Disqualification

The ruling specifically disqualifies Essayli from supervising the criminal prosecutions in three cases, siding with defense lawyers who argued his authority had expired. However, Judge Seabright denied requests to dismiss the cases themselves, noting that Essayli had not signed the indictments and lawfully serving assistant U.S. attorneys had handled all aspects of the prosecutions.

Despite being disqualified from the acting U.S. Attorney role, the judge ruled that Essayli could continue to serve as the First Assistant United States Attorney for the Central District of California. In this capacity, he could still supervise prosecutions. Essayli responded to the ruling on social media, stating, 'Nothing is changing. I continue serving as the top federal prosecutor in the Central District of California.'

Background and Precedent

Bill Essayli was appointed interim U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California by Attorney General Pam Bondi in April 2025. The Central District of California, headquartered in Los Angeles, is the nation's largest federal judicial district, serving approximately 20 million people across seven counties.

This decision follows similar rulings against other Trump-appointed acting U.S. Attorneys: Alina Habba in New Jersey and Sigal Chattah in Nevada, both of whom were found to be serving unlawfully. All federal judges in the Central District of California had recused themselves from hearing motions related to Essayli's disqualification, leading to Judge Seabright, from the District of Hawaii, being assigned to the case.