Assemblyman Bill Essayli (R-Corona) was appointed by President Donald Trump to be the new U.S. Attorney for the Los Angeles-based Central District of California on Tuesday, with Essayli accepting the position and resigning from the Assembly.
In a statement on X on Tuesday, Essayli accepted the position, promising to follow Trump’s lead as the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California.
“I am honored that President Trump and Attorney General Bondi have placed their trust in me to serve as United States Attorney for the Central District of California. I intend to implement the President’s mission to restore trust in our justice system and pursue those who dare to cause harm to the United States and the People of our nation,” said Essayli.
“In just over two years, we have achieved major victories to restore common sense in Sacramento. When I joined the Assembly, parental rights, illegal immigration, and voter ID were peripheral issues; we’ve made them centerpieces of our Party. This past election we added true fighters and I am confident they will continue the important work needed in the Legislature to make Republicans start winning in California.”
The son of Lebanese immigrants who fled the Lebanese Civil War in the 1980’s, Essayli graduated from Cal State Poly Pomona and Chapman University in the 2000’s. Following a brief stint as an intern at the White House Counsel’s office, Essayli returned to California as a prosecutor in the Riverside County District Attorney’s office. This was followed up by becoming an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California where he worked on several high-profile cases, including the case against the perpetrators of the 2015 San Bernadino terrorist attack.
While Essayli lost in his first run for Assembly in 2018, he won following redistricting in 2022, becoming the first Muslim member of the Assembly in state history. Essayli swiftly became one of the most well-known Republicans in the legislature, adding in numerous counter-bills against those put forth by Democrats. He specifically became specialized in gender issues, taking a firm stand on and creating bills against things like allowing biological males to compete in girls sports. One bill he attempted last year would have given parents notice within three days of their children no longer identifying as their birth gender in school. In addition, Essayli took a firm stance on voter ID laws in California and trying to get armed officers inside every school in the state. Outside of legislation, Essayli was also known for his passionate arguments in the Assembly chambers, even calling out some Democratic Assemblymembers as liars during votes.
Following reelection last year, Essayli continued authoring bills around gender issues and was expected to continue being a leading Republican voice in the Assembly. However his stances and experience in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California made him noticed by the Trump administration, which led to his elevation to the U.S. Attorney post on Tuesday. As the Central District covers seven counties, including Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura and serves over 20 million people, Essayli will now head the largest federal district in the U.S.
His resignation on Tuesday night also opens up the 63rd Assembly District, which covers a part of Riverside County, up for a special election. While the district has 57% Democratic voter registration, Essayli has won handily in the past two elections in the district, with the 2024 election garnering 57.3% of the vote for Essayli. As Democrats have been losing seats in the Assembly for the past few elections, they are expected to mount a major challenge against the GOP for the district seat in a special election.
For Essayli, he is expected to begin his new U.S. Attorney duties soon following his swearing in on Wednesday.
“It is the honor of a lifetime to lead the U.S. Attorney’s Office and serve the people of the district that I have called home for so many years,” added Essayli on Wednesday. “As our district’s chief federal prosecutor, I will work diligently and tirelessly with our federal and local law enforcement partners to implement the priorities of the president and the attorney general and to protect our communities from criminals. Our citizens deserve no less.”
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