A federal judge ruled on Tuesday that one of President Donald Trump’s U.S. Attorneys has been serving illegally in his position, calling his appointment “unlawful.” “As this Order explains in detail, Bilal A. Essayli is not lawfully serving as Acting United States Attorney for the Central District of California,” wrote U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright in his opinion.
Seabright, who was appointed by former President George W. Bush, stated, “The Attorney General’s July 29, 2025, order did not function to put him in that role. And he has been unlawfully serving in that role since he resigned as Interim United States Attorney.”
The ruling comes after three criminal defendants filed separate lawsuits challenging the legality of Bilal Essayli’s continued service in the position. Essayli first took on the interim role in April. Under federal rules, an interim U.S. Attorney can serve for a maximum of 120 days unless officially reappointed or confirmed by the Senate. The lawsuits argued that Essayli’s time limit had already expired.
Judge Seabright’s opinion did not dismiss ongoing cases connected to Essayli’s office. The court ruled that motions and prosecutions previously authorized under his leadership remain valid because they were “lawfully signed by other attorneys for the government.” The judge added that there was “no showing of due process violations or other irregularities in Defendants’ prosecutions resulting from Essayli’s unlawful service as Acting United States Attorney.”
The decision effectively strips Essayli of authority in the Central District of California, one of the largest and most influential federal districts in the country. The office handles major criminal, civil, and national security cases, making the leadership question particularly significant.
Kyle Chenny, a senior legal affairs reporter for Politico, commented on the potential implications of the ruling. Posting on X, formerly Twitter, Chenny noted that the decision “bodes poorly” for another Trump appointee, Lindsay Halligan, who also serves in an interim role. Halligan was reportedly the sole signatory on the indictments of former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
The Justice Department has not yet responded publicly to the court’s decision. Legal analysts suggest that the ruling may prompt further scrutiny of other acting or interim appointments made under the Trump administration. The court’s opinion underscores a broader issue about the limits of executive power and the legal framework surrounding temporary federal appointments.