A U.S. District Court judge has barred Nevada’s acting U.S. Attorney, Sigal Chattah, from overseeing four criminal cases, ruling her appointment unlawful and marking another blow to the Trump administration’s attempts to extend control over key federal prosecutor positions.
Judge David Campbell determined that Chattah was not legally serving in the role, making her involvement in ongoing cases improper. The Justice Department declined to comment on the ruling. Chattah, who previously chaired Nevada’s Republican National Committee, was first appointed in March for a 120-day interim term. However, as her tenure approached its July expiration, the Trump administration maneuvered to extend her authority under a separate federal statute, effectively bypassing the court’s ability to appoint a replacement.
Federal public defenders in Nevada challenged her authority, arguing her continued role violated federal law. They sought her disqualification and asked for pending cases under her supervision to be dismissed. Judge Campbell’s decision echoes similar rulings in other states where the Trump administration employed controversial methods to retain prosecutors beyond their legal limits.
In August, a federal judge in New Jersey found that Alina Habba, another Trump-appointed U.S. attorney and former personal lawyer to the ex-president, had also been unlawfully appointed. That ruling disqualified her from participating in federal cases, though the Justice Department is currently appealing. Similar appointments involving John Sarcone in New York, Bilal Essayli in California, and Ryan Ellison in New Mexico are also under legal scrutiny.
Chattah has also drawn attention for urging the FBI to investigate disproven claims of voter fraud from the 2020 election, an effort critics say was politically motivated to influence upcoming congressional races.
The ruling underscores growing judicial resistance to executive maneuvers that bypass standard appointment procedures, raising broader concerns about separation of powers and the politicization of federal law enforcement.


Rodrigo Duterte Makes First Public Appearance at ICC in 18 Months
U.S. Issues Cuba Health Alert as Illnesses Rise
FDA Weighs Safety Standards for Psychedelic Therapies
US Immigration Arrests Surge as Deportations Lag Behind
DOJ Will Investigate AI-Related Crimes, Attorney General Blanche Says
Ukraine Races to Counter Russia’s Faster Jet-Powered Drones
Synthetic data could ease people’s concerns about privacy breaches. But who gets to create it?
Saudi Arabia Shuts East-West Oil Pipeline After Drone Attack
Houthis Escalate Saudi Attacks as Red Sea Oil Risks Grow
Yindjibarndi Appeals Fortescue Mining Compensation Ruling
Europe can’t achieve space sovereignty alone. Here’s why
Banking scandal rocks Brazil’s politics and the country’s presidential election in October
29 US states are suing Meta. What might it mean for the rest of the world?
US Resumes Immigrant Visa Processing for Hungary, Poland
Bill Gates Warns Governments Are Unprepared for AI Disruption
Trump Rejects Calls for Tougher AI Regulation
Amazon Shares Fall as FTC Plans Ad Pricing Lawsuit 



