Western Washington’s top federal prosecutor removed from post amid Trump purge

The Trump administration ousted the top federal prosecutor for western Washington on Wednesday, part of a nationwide purge of U.S. attorneys.

Tessa Gorman had served as U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington since her predecessor, Nick Brown, started his run for attorney general. 

Gorman, a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, law school, served more than 15 years in the federal prosecutor’s office in Seattle, including another stint in 2021 as acting U.S. attorney. She was the first woman to lead the office’s criminal division.

A spokesperson for the U.S. attorney’s office said she wasn’t aware of any reason given for Gorman’s removal. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller was promoted to replace Gorman, according to Emily Langlie, a spokesperson for the office.

Gorman was one of several top federal prosecutors removed from their posts across the country, including in southern California and Maryland, according to NBC News. There are 93 U.S. attorneys nationwide. They prosecute federal cases and work on civil litigation in cases that include the federal government.

During his first administration, President Donald Trump floated Gorman as a potential nominee to serve as a judge in U.S. District Court in Seattle. But Trump never formally nominated her after Washington’s U.S. senators, Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, opposed the president’s choice for a seat on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. 

At the beginning of former President Joe Biden’s term, U.S. attorneys appointed by Trump were asked to resign and given three weeks to leave. Gorman’s removal was immediate.

The White House reportedly didn’t coordinate with the Justice Department on the moves, a break from protocol. 

Brown on Thursday said Gorman is a good attorney. He acknowledged turnover with new presidents is normal, but said axing Gorman and others via email was “bulls**t.”

In eastern Washington, U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref resigned as the district’s top federal law enforcement officer, with Richard Barker taking over in an acting role. Barker has been with the office since 2014. Waldref announced plans to resign last month.

Spokespeople from the White House and Justice Department declined to comment.