A federal judge ruled Tuesday that Sigal Chattah, one of Nevada’s most outspoken conservatives, is not lawfully serving as the state’s acting U.S. attorney, with the court finding that the personnel maneuvers used to keep her in the role violated federal vacancies law.
U.S. District Judge David Campbell, in a 32-page decision, disqualified Chattah from supervising the prosecutions of four defendants who challenged their indictments after the Justice Department designated her as acting U.S. attorney.
Campbell outlined three paths forward: the president could appoint a temporary acting U.S. attorney under strict federal requirements, Nevada’s federal judges could appoint someone to the post, or the president could nominate a permanent U.S. attorney and seek Senate confirmation.
The ruling comes six months into Chattah’s tenure as Nevada’s top federal law enforcement official. She was appointed interim U.S. attorney in March for a 120-day term but resigned the day before it expired in July. That same day, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi named her the state’s first assistant U.S. attorney, a move that allowed her to serve as acting U.S. attorney for an additional 210 days without Senate confirmation. Campbell determined that these personnel maneuvers violated federal vacancies law.
Chattah has remained a prominent figure during her tenure, recently urging the FBI to investigate voter fraud in the state.
Source: The Nevada Independent
