General Discussion

In April 2025, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi appointed Essayli as interim U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California.[3][4] The appointment was made under federal law allowing the Attorney General to fill vacancies without Senate confirmation for up to 120 days.[10] …

His appointment prompted pushback from Democratic officials and progressive organizations, culminating in the launch of Stop Essayli, a grassroots effort opposing his confirmation on grounds of alleged political retaliation and civil rights concerns.[12][13][14][15]

The Los Angeles Times reported that Essayli struggled to secure convictions at grand juries for charges he brought against protestors during the June 2025 Los Angeles protests. By July 23, federal prosecutors brought 38 felony cases against protestors but secured only seven indictments, with many being dismissed or reduced to misdemeanor charges. Three federal law enforcement officers reported to the Times that they overheard a speakerphone conversation in the vicinity of the grand jury room in which Essayli screamed at a prosecutor to ignore the department's Justice Manual and instead to secure indictments as directed by Pam Bondi. The reporting said Essayli's low number of indictments raised concerns among legal experts over the strength of the cases he was filing.[16]

He has already charged David Huerta, one of California’s most powerful union leaders, with felony conspiracy for allegedly impeding an ICE arrest by participating in a protest. On Thursday, he stood by as California Sen. Alex Padilla was handcuffed and forced to the ground at a press conference hosted by Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.
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Essayli is President Donald Trump’s man on the immigration battlefield of Los Angeles — a rapid status shift for a politician who not long ago was a junior, little-liked Republican state lawmaker.
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There are few avenues to power for a hard-right Republican in Democrat-dominated California. Serving as an avatar for the Trump administration’s talking points within the state Legislature was one of them. And the performances led to even bigger platforms: regular appearances on Fox News that won him a casual following nationally among the MAGA faithful.

Stop Essayli. Protect Children. Defend Democracy.
Bill Essayli as US Attorney for the Central District of California poses a clear and present danger to LGBTQ+ youth, immigrant communities, our environment, labor leaders, and the impartial administration of justice.