A federal appeals court has upheld a lower court's ruling disqualifying Sigal Chattah, a prosecutor appointed during the Trump administration, from serving as the interim U.S. Attorney for Nevada. The decision, made by a 2025 ruling from Judge David Campbell, found that the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada could have appointed its own interim U.S. Attorney after Chattah but did not follow the proper procedure.
Chattah, who previously served as Nevada's Republican National Committeewoman, had her appointment as acting U.S. attorney for Nevada last year draw criticism from Democratic senators. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto stated on social media that Chattah is "an election denier who has advocated for political violence, suggested she would target her political enemies, and offered full support to many of [President] Trump’s blatantly illegal actions in office." Senator Jacky Rosen echoed these concerns on X, describing Chattah as "an extremist with a record of violent rhetoric who is deeply unfit for this role."
The Trump administration's strategy often involved attempting to keep ideologically aligned federal prosecutors in place without requiring Senate confirmation. This appeals court ruling represents a setback for that approach.