The Trump administration fires prosecutor Roger Rogoff 54 minutes after his appointment in Seattle

The Trump administration dismissed federal prosecutor Roger Rogoff just 54 minutes after he was unanimously confirmed by federal judges in the Western District of Washington to head the U.S. Attorney's Office in Seattle, opening the door to a potential legal battle over the authority to appoint and remove the heads of federal prosecutors' offices.

According to The New York Times, the dismissal occurred less than an hour after his appointment and reflects the administration's rejection of federal courts' attempts to fill vacancies that, to date, have not been formally addressed by the president.

Roger Rogoff, 57, has retained a law firm specializing in labor law and is considering taking legal action against his dismissal. If successful, the case could lead to protracted litigation and create an unprecedented scenario in which a federal prosecutor operates with a certain degree of independence from the administration.

The vacancy at the helm of the Seattle US Attorney's Office remains formally unfilled, as Charles Neil Floyd, selected by the Trump administration to lead the office, has not been officially nominated by the president or confirmed by the Senate.

In remarks reported by The New York Times, Rogoff stated that, had he remained in office, he would have worked to "carry out the administration's priorities," among which he cited illegal immigration, human trafficking, and the prosecution of drug-trafficking gangs, which he described as "pretty standard" priorities.