Federal Appeals Court Disqualifies Sigal Chattah as Top Prosecutor in Nevada

A federal appeals court panel upheld an order disqualifying Sigal Chattah as the leading federal prosecutor in Nevada. The ruling by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals determined that the Justice Department could not extend her authority using the appointment and delegation strategies they employed.

The panel affirmed a previous decision that Chattah was not legally leading the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada. This disqualification prevents her from overseeing prosecutions in three specific criminal cases.

Chattah began her role as interim U.S. attorney for Nevada on April 1, 2025, with a term limit of 120 days. As this term was nearing its end in late July, then-Attorney General Pam Bondi reassigned her as first assistant U.S. attorney, following Chattah’s resignation from her interim position shortly before her term expired.

“Nor can the Attorney General create a de facto Acting U.S. Attorney by delegating all of the functions and duties of the U.S. Attorney to someone else,” stated U.S. Circuit Judge Eric Miller.

The Justice Department contended that Bondi’s move enabled Chattah to act as a U.S. attorney under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act while a permanent appointment was pending. Bondi also appointed Chattah as a special attorney, arguing that her role as first assistant—second in command—qualified her to act under the 1998 Federal Vacancies Reform Act.

Federal public defenders in Nevada challenged the validity of Chattah’s authority in various unrelated criminal cases. They claimed her appointment was unlawful and called for the cases’ dismissal.

The Trump administration appealed after U.S. District Judge David Campbell sided with the public defenders in their challenge. The appeals court panel ruled against the Justice Department’s arguments, stating that someone in the first-assistant position could only legally step in if they already held that role at the time of the vacancy.

The unanimous decision came from a panel including U.S. District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr., sitting by designation, and U.S. Circuit Judge Sidney Thomas. Both were also appointed by President Trump.

This case is part of a broader series of legal challenges against the administration’s attempt to fill key federal positions without Senate confirmation. It highlights ongoing controversies regarding the Senate Judiciary Committee’s “blue slip” tradition, which allows home-state senators considerable influence over U.S. attorney nominations.

President Trump did not nominate Chattah for the permanent Nevada U.S. attorney post, choosing George Kelesis for the nomination in February 2026. Similarly, a ruling from the Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals disqualified Alina Habba, a former Trump lawyer, from acting as U.S. attorney in New Jersey.

Reuters contributed to this report.