Nevada U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah and Joey Gilbert face malpractice lawsuit

By Brittany Sheehan  

Nevada News and Views

Two Nevada lawyers who have taken on high-profile political cases are now in hot water themselves. Acting U.S. Attorney for Nevada Sigal Chattah and attorney Joey Gilbert are being sued for what a family says was sloppy legal work on a COVID-19 wrongful death case.

This story matters because it shows what can happen when lawyers don’t do their homework properly. It’s a warning about the importance of careful legal work, especially in politically charged cases.

What Happened

Back in 2022, Chattah and Gilbert filed what they said was the first such lawsuit in the U.S. against a Northern Nevada hospital. They claimed the hospital killed a man by giving him Remdesivir, a COVID treatment drug that many conservatives view with suspicion.

The lawyers got loud about their case on social media. Gilbert said “a reckoning is coming,” while Chattah wrote “They knew the science. They lied. They killed people. No mercy. No amnesty.”

But here’s the problem. The family is now saying the hospital never gave the man Remdesivir at all.

How Chattah Got Her Current Job

President Donald Trump’s administration has extended interim U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah’s term for another 210 days, keeping the Republican national committeewoman in place as Nevada’s top Department of Justice official despite strident opposition from the state’s two senators. Trump appointed her in March 2025, and she took office on April 1st.

Nevada’s two Democratic senators, Sens. Jacky Rosen and Catherine Cortez Masto, have said they would oppose her appointment by using the Senate’s rules allowing home-state senators to block the nomination process. But Trump found a way around their objections by using federal law to extend her term without Senate confirmation.

Why This Matters to Conservatives

This case touches on several things conservatives care about. First, it involves a lawsuit challenging what many saw as questionable COVID treatments pushed by the medical establishment. Many conservatives believe the medical protocols during COVID were rushed and potentially harmful.

Second, it shows what can happen when any lawyer doesn’t do proper due diligence, regardless of their politics. The family says if the lawyers had carefully reviewed the medical records, they would have seen that Remdesivir was never given to the patient.

The case also relied on an expert witness who wasn’t really an expert. The suit relied heavily on an affidavit from Gilbert’s father, Dr. Warren Gilbert, a critic of Remdesivir who had no background in infectious diseases.

What the Family Claims

Melissa Dillon, whose father died of COVID, says the lawyers made several big mistakes:

—They didn’t properly check the medical records before filing suit

—They used an unqualified expert witness (Gilbert’s father)

—They missed a one-year deadline to file the case, which got it thrown out

—They made multiple factual errors in their legal papers

—They wouldn’t file an appeal when they realized they might lose

The family is asking for at least $60,000 in damages and wants a jury trial.

The Other Side

Chattah is trying to distance herself from the case. Her response says she wasn’t involved until after the filing deadline had already passed. She claims Gilbert was the main lawyer and she only came in later.

Her lawyer said they: “have full confidence in the legal process and trust that the appropriate resolution will be reached through the judicial system.”

Gilbert didn’t respond to requests for comment.

About Joey Gilbert

Gilbert is a former professional boxer turned lawyer who became a conservative hero during COVID. Gilbert began representing local doctors who wanted to prescribe hydroxychloroquine to Covid-19 patients and spoke out against local mask mandates and public health restrictions.

He ran for Nevada governor in 2022 and came in second in the Republican primary. Gilbert was in Washington, D.C., taking part in the protests that eventually stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, though he stayed outside the building.

What Critics Are Saying

Democrats and some legal experts say this case shows these lawyers were more interested in getting attention than doing good legal work. They point to the social media posts and public statements as evidence the lawyers were grandstanding.

Some also question whether using Gilbert’s father as an expert witness was appropriate, since he wasn’t trained in infectious diseases.

What This Means Going Forward

This case is set for a hearing at the end of August. If the family wins, it could hurt both lawyers’ reputations and careers.

For Chattah, this case is especially significant because she now holds the top federal prosecutor position in Nevada. Any legal malpractice finding could affect her standing in that role and give opponents more ammunition to challenge her appointment.

The case also serves as a warning to other conservative lawyers who want to take on the medical establishment. Good intentions aren’t enough — you still need to do careful, thorough legal work.

The hearing later this month will be worth watching.

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Brittany Sheehan is a Las Vegas-based mother, policy advocate and grassroots leader. She is active in local politics, successful in campaign work and passionate about liberty.