The White House has picked longtime Las Vegas defense lawyer George Kelesis as its nominee for U.S. attorney in Nevada. The nomination lands as acting U.S. attorney Sigal Chattah faces legal and ethical scrutiny. A federal judge in September said Chattah’s appointment is illegal. The 9th Circuit heard the appeal last week. Kelesis has been a lawyer in Nevada for 45 years and is a partner of the Las Vegas firm Cook & Kelesis. He has chaired the Nevada Tax Commission since 2023 under Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo. He has ties to both the Democratic and Republican parties. Nevada’s Democratic senators say they will review him closely.
