Summary (tl;dr)

A federal appeals court has ruled that Sigal Chattah was unlawfully appointed as the top federal prosecutor for Nevada, determining her continued leadership of the U.S. Attorney's office violated federal law by circumventing Senate confirmation.

Essential Background

Sigal Chattah, a conservative lawyer, was initially appointed as Nevada's interim U.S. Attorney by President Trump, a position with a 180-day term. To extend her tenure beyond this period without requiring Senate confirmation, the Trump administration, through Attorney General Pam Bondi, appointed Chattah as the First Assistant U.S. Attorney, arguing this allowed her to serve as acting U.S. Attorney. This maneuver was challenged by the Nevada federal public defender's office in September 2025, which argued these were "illegal personnel maneuvers" to keep her in the role. U.S. District Judge David G. Campbell sided with the challengers in September 2025, ruling Chattah was "not validly serving" and disqualifying her from overseeing several criminal prosecutions, though he later paused his order pending appeal in October 2025. Critics also raised concerns about Chattah's past statements and alleged efforts to use her position for partisan investigations.

The Full Story

On Monday, August 17, 2026, the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously upheld the lower court's decision, ruling that Sigal Chattah was unlawfully appointed as Nevada's top federal prosecutor and cannot continue in that role. The appeals court found that her appointment violated federal law regarding the filling of government vacancies, specifically because she had never served under a lawfully appointed U.S. Attorney. This ruling means Chattah is no longer authorized to oversee federal prosecutions in Nevada as the chief federal law enforcement officer, although she may continue to serve as First Assistant U.S. Attorney without the full powers of an acting U.S. Attorney. The Trump administration has the option to appeal this decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. Meanwhile, the White House's nomination of George Kelesis for the permanent U.S. Attorney position in Nevada in February 2026 has remained unconfirmed by the Senate.

Why It Matters

This trending development highlights broader concerns about presidential administrations bypassing Senate confirmation for key federal law enforcement positions, potentially politicizing the justice system. The court's decision reinforces the constitutional role of the Senate in approving presidential nominees and upholding federal vacancy laws, ensuring that top prosecutors are appointed through proper legal and bipartisan channels. The case underscores the importance of an independent and non-partisan federal prosecutorial office, free from the perception of political influence or personal agendas.

Geographic Location

• Las Vegas, Clark County, Nevada, United States (location of Sigal Chattah's law practice, U.S. Attorney's office)
• Reno, Washoe County, Nevada, United States (location of U.S. Attorney's office)
• District of Nevada, United States (where Sigal Chattah served as interim U.S. Attorney, where the federal public defender's office sued, and where the U.S. District Court made its initial ruling)
• San Francisco, San Francisco County, California, United States (headquarters of the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which issued the latest ruling)