Federal judge rules Bill Essayli unlawfully serving as prosecutor

A federal judge ruled on Tuesday that Bill Essayli, the top federal prosecutor in Southern California, is unlawfully serving as a de facto United States attorney, Fox News reported. United States District Judge J. Michael Seabright disqualified Essayli from overseeing or participating in two criminal cases. The Orange County Register and MyNewsLA.com also reported the decision. [1][3][4]

According to Fox News, the disqualification will not take effect immediately. This delay gives the United States Department of Justice time to seek a stay while it appeals the ruling. In a statement provided to Fox News, Essayli stated that he respectfully disagrees with the order of the court and believes the Supreme Court will ultimately decide his fate. [1]

Bilal Ali Bill Essayli serves as the first assistant United States attorney for the Central District of California. He previously worked as a deputy district attorney in Riverside County and as an assistant United States attorney focusing on transnational criminal organizations. Essayli served as interim United States attorney from April to July 2025. He was previously disqualified after staying beyond the initial interim period without congressional approval. [6][7]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, Essayli recently warned that gaps in election safeguards allowed registered voter citizenship to rely solely on self-attestation. His statement followed a separate federal court ruling that prevented the Department of Justice from forcing states to hand over voter rolls for citizenship verification. [8]