MADISON, Wis. (AP) — U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi is allowing Brad Schimel to take on a new role following the expiration of his interim term as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. This decision comes amidst ongoing delays in the Senate's confirmation of President Donald Trump's judicial appointees, a trend that affects many federal judicial districts across the country.
Schimel's interim term, which was appointed in November, was slated to end Tuesday. While the district's federal judges could have opted to keep him in an interim role, they made an announcement to not extend his appointment on March 10. Bondi's recent decision to name Schimel as the first assistant U.S. attorney allows him to continue overseeing operations in the Milwaukee office.
Expressing gratitude for his new position, Schimel stated, “I will continue to work tirelessly to make the entire district safer and stronger.”
The trend of appointing acting or interim prosecutors has become prevalent, with only 30 out of 94 federal districts currently being supervised by presidentially nominated and Senate-confirmed U.S. attorneys. Furthermore, various federal judicial districts across the nation are witnessing interim officials at the helm as Senate Democrats stall confirmation proceedings.
Schimel, a member of the Republican Party, brings a wealth of experience from his previous positions as Wisconsin's attorney general and as district attorney in Waukesha County. Despite a notable law career, Schimel faced electoral defeat in a bid for a second term as attorney general in 2018, subsequently gaining a judicial appointment from the outgoing Republican governor, Scott Walker.
Recently, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, a Democrat from Wisconsin, has voiced her opposition to Schimel's continued role, criticizing him as a 'partisan actor' and emphasizing the significance of appointing someone committed to upholding the rule of law, rather than allegiance to presidential figures. In contrast, Republican Senator Ron Johnson described the judges' decision as 'bizarre' and advocated for Schimel's leadership in the Milwaukee office.
