{
  "id": 1748468,
  "title": "Appeals court says Trump-appointed US attorney in Nevada can’t legally serve in the role",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/appeals-court-says-trump-appointed-us-attorney-in-nevada-cant-legally",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-18T16:33:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Winnipeg Free Press",
    "slug": "winnipeg-free-press",
    "url": "https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/world/2026/08/18/appeals-court-says-trump-appointed-us-attorney-in-nevada-cant-legally-serve-in-the-role"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On Monday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declared that Sigal Chattah, the initial choice for U.S. attorney in Nevada by the Trump administration, was improperly appointed to oversee federal prosecutions in the state. This ruling adds to the administration's challenges in extending handpicked U.S. attorneys beyond a 120-day period permitted by federal law, a move aimed at circumventing the typical Senate confirmation process.\n\nChattah has been functioning as the first assistant U.S. attorney since a lower court judge temporarily halted a ruling that disqualified her from managing several criminal cases while the appeals process was ongoing. George Kelesis, a Las Vegas native and a conservative attorney, was nominated as a replacement for Chattah in February, but he is still awaiting Senate approval.\n\nChattah, who has been known for her support of baseless claims surrounding the 2020 election, was appointed as interim U.S. attorney in 2025 but never gained Senate approval due to strong opposition from Nevada's Democratic senators. They labeled her as an extremist and an election denier, pledging to obstruct her appointment if the administration attempted to make it permanent.\n\nChattah resigned just before her term was set to end in July 2025, and the administration appointed her as first assistant U.S. attorney shortly after, claiming she had the authority to serve as acting U.S. attorney. However, courts have ruled against this approach in similar cases, including those involving Bill Essayli in California and Alina Habba in New Jersey. Essayli is currently acting as the top prosecutor in California under the same title.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rules Sigal Chattah's appointment as Nevada U.S. attorney illegal.",
    "George Kelesis, conservative attorney, nominated as Chattah's replacement in February.",
    "Chattah resigned in July 2025, administration appointed her as first assistant U.S. attorney."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}