Bill Essayli Lost His Job. Does It Matter?

Essayli Lost His Job. Does It Matter?

A federal judge may have stripped Bill Essayli of his title as acting US attorney in Los Angeles, but legal scholars and former prosecutors say that ruling will have almost no impact on his power in the office.

Essayli is the third to be disqualified as an acting US attorney under the Trump administration. But unlike the others, he’s been explicitly allowed to remain as the office’s first assistant. That means he can still supervise prosecutions and manage the office.

There is one release lever that could force Essayli’s new title to mean ...