Appeals court rules Trump admin unlawfully appointed Nevada's top federal prosecutor

A federal appeals court panel upheld an order disqualifying Sigal Chattah as the top federal prosecutor in Nevada, ruling that the Justice Department could not keep her in charge through its appointment and delegation mechanisms. The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, a first assistant cannot automatically become acting U.S. attorney unless they held that position when the vacancy occurred. Consequently, the panel rejected arguments regarding both designation as first assistant and general delegation of functions.