In a notable expansion of executive power, the Trump administration utilized a legal workaround to maintain Bill Essayli as the chief federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, avoiding the Senate confirmation process. As a result, concerns about the politicization of justice have intensified.

Bill Essayli, previously a California Assemblyman and a committed supporter of Trump, will continue under the designation of acting U.S. attorney for the Central District of California. This move circumvents the required Senate scrutiny, as confirmed by Justice Department spokesperson Matthew Nies. The appointment, effective from 5:01 p.m. Tuesday, extends Essayli’s influence without Senate approval into late 2026.

This tactic is part of a broader strategy by Trump's Justice Department to install loyalists in pivotal prosecutorial roles across several key states, ignoring bipartisan judicial panels' rejections and escalating opposition from legal scholars.

Under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, interim U.S. attorneys typically need Senate confirmation within 120 days. Trump allowed Essayli’s term to expire without a formal nomination, leading to a judicial panel’s declined nomination, after which Attorney General Pam Bondi quickly designated Essayli as acting U.S. attorney. This action grants him an additional 210 days in office.

The appointment has raised constitutional concerns, particularly after similar situations in New York, New Jersey, and Nevada faced legal challenges and dissent from within the Department of Justice.

Essayli's leadership has already sparked controversy, notably his decision to offer a lenient plea deal in a high-profile excessive force case, which career prosecutors criticized as politically motivated. Furthermore, Essayli has been accused of pushing for indictments without sufficient evidence, a claim that has been substantiated by independent sources despite denials from his office.

The maneuver to keep Essayli in power reflects a broader push towards centralizing political control over federal prosecutions, undermining the credibility of law enforcement and posing threats to the rule of law. Legal experts and insiders anticipate more challenges, including potential lawsuits contesting the legality of Essayli’s acting status.

Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff have condemned the appointment as "illegitimate" and are proposing legislation to close this loophole in federal succession law. This ongoing saga underscores the tension between the executive branch’s appointment powers and the Senate’s confirmation authority, with significant implications for the integrity of federal prosecutions.