# Federal judge rules Bill Essayli unlawfully serving as de facto US attorney in California

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/federal-judge-rules-bill-essayli-unlawfully-serving-as-de-facto-us-attorney-in-california/
- Published: 2026-10-28T05:22:12+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-28T06:39:38+00:00
- Original publisher: Fox News (publisher lean: Far right)
- Original article: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/federal-judge-rules-bill-essayli-unlawfully-serving-de-facto-us-attorney-california
- Topics: Americas, World

## Key points

- Judge says Essayli is unlawfully acting as a de facto US attorney.
- He is barred from supervising two criminal cases, pending a possible stay.
- The ruling comes amid a federal dispute over California voter eligibility.

## Summary

A federal judge has ruled that Bill Essayli is unlawfully serving as a de facto US attorney in Southern California and barred him from overseeing two criminal prosecutions. The decision challenges the authority under which he has led the office, though it will not take effect immediately, allowing the Justice Department time to seek a stay while appealing.

Essayli’s 120-day interim appointment expired, and he was later named a special attorney and first assistant, without being nominated by the president or confirmed by the Senate. Judge J. Michael Seabright concluded a revised designation by Attorney General Todd Blanche still gave Essayli the authority of the vacant post, following a Ninth Circuit ruling on a similar Nevada appointment. The decision comes as Essayli helps lead a federal effort concerning more than 20,000 California voters the administration says may be noncitizens.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.