Federal Judge Removes U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah From Four Las Vegas Criminal Cases
LAS VEGAS – A federal judge has disqualified U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah from overseeing four criminal cases in Las Vegas, citing ongoing concerns about her impartiality and authority. The move comes amid a series of legal challenges questioning Chattah’s appointment and the actions of her office.
Chattah, appointed as interim U.S. attorney for the District of Nevada by President Donald trump in March, resigned from that position before a 120-day deadline. She was afterward appointed to the role on an “acting” basis in late July, a move federal prosecutors allege was unlawful.
The disqualification follows similar motions challenging Chattah’s authority and the work of federal prosecutors in her office. Public defenders have argued that, following the expiration of her interim period, the district’s judges should have appointed a new interim U.S. attorney. Presidents traditionally appoint U.S.attorneys, subject to Senate confirmation, with judges empowered to appoint interim replacements until a Senate-confirmed appointment is made.
Chattah has defended her position, stating in August, “It’s not unconstitutional… It was not done in a nefarious manner, and there’s nothing that politicians can do about it.”
The controversy surrounding Chattah extends beyond the legal challenges to her appointment. A former Republican National Committee woman who unsuccessfully ran for Nevada Attorney General, she has drawn scrutiny for controversial statements. In an August interview with 8 News Now Investigators, Chattah stated, “a lot of these people, I know that they’re scared because I know where a lot of the bodies are buried because I come from the defense world… sometimes we even choose the location to bury them.”
Nevada’s U.S. Senators, catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen, both democrats, have publicly opposed Chattah’s appointment. Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson last month called Chattah “unfit to serve.”
This disqualification follows similar challenges involving appointments in New Jersey and California. Chattah declined to comment on the judge’s decision.
