Judge Disqualifies Federal Prosecutor in Southern California Cases

A federal judge has removed Bill Essayli, Southern California’s top federal prosecutor, from handling two criminal cases. The court found Essayli is unlawfully acting as a ‘de facto’ U.S. Attorney.

U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright decided on Tuesday that Essayli cannot oversee the prosecutions in these cases. This disqualification is not immediate, allowing time for the Justice Department to seek an appeal.

“We respectfully disagree with the court’s order,” Essayli stated, affirming the President and the Attorney General’s right to select Justice Department supervisors.

Essayli had initially served as an interim U.S. Attorney following an appointment that expired after 120 days. Then, Pam Bondi, the former Attorney General, appointed him as a special attorney with the role of first assistant U.S. Attorney. Essayli was never formally nominated or confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

In a previous judgment, Seabright allowed Essayli to continue supervising prosecutions under other titles despite not legally being made acting U.S. Attorney.

The Ninth Circuit’s summer ruling against a similar case in Nevada prompted Seabright to re-evaluate Essayli’s status. Though Attorney General Todd Blanche modified Essayli’s authority, Seabright ruled the arrangement still granted him enough power to act as a U.S. Attorney.

“In sum, Essayli is unlawfully serving as a ‘de facto’ United States Attorney,” Seabright concluded.

This verdict emerged amidst Essayli’s involvement in a Justice Department initiative challenging California’s voter registrations, asserting over 20,000 registered voters might be noncitizens.

The Department has requested a court to separate ballots linked to these voters while reviewing eligibility. U.S. District Judge David O. Carter is set to rule on this request.

During a news conference, Essayli described the case as pivotal to ensuring election integrity. He stated, “We wanna stop illegal voting. We don’t wanna chase it later.”

When questioned about Seabright’s decision, Essayli remarked briefly, “That case will be decided by the Supreme Court.”