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The Trump administration has chosen Las Vegas attorney George Kelesis as its nominee to serve as Nevada’s U.S. attorney, an appointment set against legal uncertainty over the current officeholder, Sigal Chattah. The selection marks another challenge for the administration’s effort to place U.S. attorneys into roles that typically require Senate confirmation, amid court disputes that have derailed or limited prior picks.
Chattah, who was appointed to the post last March, has been under review by an appeals court after questions about whether she was legally eligible to hold the position. If Kelesis is confirmed, he would replace Chattah, who has continued overseeing cases while the eligibility fight plays out in court, according to the case described by federal attorneys in the Ninth Circuit.
A lower-court judge ruled in September that Chattah was not validly serving as U.S. attorney, but allowed her to keep overseeing certain matters while an appeal moved forward. The Ninth Circuit heard arguments last week, with no ruling issued yet, and the move to nominate Kelesis came as the administration sought a path forward even as the legal contest continued.
During the appeal, federal lawyer Tyler Anne Lee argued that Chattah is validly serving as the acting U.S. attorney and can continue while Kelesis goes through the nomination process. Lee also told the court that if Kelesis is not approved or his nomination is withdrawn, Chattah could keep serving for 210 days.
Senate confirmation expectations appear to be part of the calculus. Nevada Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen, both Democrats, had opposed Chattah’s appointment and described her as an extremist, according to the reporting. Cortez Masto’s spokesperson, Lauren Wodarski, said the senator would conduct a “tough, thorough interview with Kelesis,” adding that the two senators had not yet expressed the same level of opposition to Kelesis.
Kelesis, described as registered as a nonpartisan voter, has donated to both Democrats and Republicans over the years, the reporting said. He has practiced law in Las Vegas since 1981 and his experience includes white-collar criminal defense and civil and criminal tax litigation. The nomination materials also described him as chairman of the Nevada Tax Commission and an adjunct professor at the University of Nevada Las Vegas law school.
The legal and political context around the Nevada post also reflects a wider dispute over temporary acting appointments for U.S. attorneys. U.S. attorneys typically require Senate confirmation, but the law allows the attorney general to make temporary appointments. In several cases involving Attorney General Pam Bondi, courts have questioned whether such temporary appointments can be kept in place beyond the limits when confirmation is not reached, and judges have said the appointments were unlawful, leading to court challenges from defendants with cases before federal prosecutors.
The reporting pointed to litigation in other states as part of that pattern. In Virginia, a court dismissed cases brought by a hastily appointed Trump loyalist, Lindsey Halligan, and ruled her appointment illegal; Halligan then announced her departure from the acting U.S. attorney role. In New Jersey, a judge ruled that Alina Habba had been serving longer than allowed, and she resigned after an appeals court upheld that ruling. The reporting also said that in California, a Trump pick for acting U.S. attorney, Bill Essayli, was disqualified for serving as acting U.S. attorney, but remains the highest-ranking prosecutor in that office as “First Assistant U.S. Attorney” because the administration has not chosen another candidate for the top job.
For Chattah and Kelesis, the reporting also drew attention to differences in how lawmakers may view their backgrounds. Chattah was described as a more controversial figure, with unsuccessful bids for state attorney general in 2022 and accusations that she used racist language about her Democratic opponent, Aaron Ford, who is Black. The report also said she has echoed Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen and represented churches that challenged Nevada’s COVID-19 restrictions.
Both Kelesis and Chattah have been attorneys for people tied to Nevada Republican accusations involving certificates submitted to Congress about the 2020 presidential vote, according to the reporting. Chattah declined to comment, while the nomination sets up a new round of Senate scrutiny even as the appeals court continues to consider what Chattah’s appointment means for ongoing cases.