US President Donald Trump has nominated senior Justice Department official Elliot Gaiser to serve as a federal judge in Texas, potentially creating another vacancy amid a series of high-level departures.
Gaiser, currently assistant attorney general overseeing the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel, has been nominated to the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas.
He was sworn into his current position in 2025 after previously serving as Ohio’s solicitor general.
The Office of Legal Counsel provides legal advice to the executive branch on complex constitutional and government matters.
Under Gaiser’s leadership, the office has examined major issues, including gun rights and the US military operation that removed former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from power.
Announcing the nomination on social media, Trump praised Gaiser’s qualifications.
“Texas will appreciate having such a talented and intelligent Judge on their Federal Bench,” the president wrote.
The nomination comes as the Justice Department faces significant leadership changes following the US midterm elections.
Several senior officials have left the department over the past week, including three division leaders based at its Washington headquarters.
If confirmed by the Senate, Gaiser would leave his current Justice Department position to take up the federal judgeship.
His departure could add to the department’s growing number of senior vacancies.
