MILWAUKEE (CN) - Former Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel was sworn in Monday as the interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, months after failing in his bid to flip the state Supreme Court as a conservative candidate.
U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi appointed Schimel, and Chief U.S. District Judge Pamela Pepper administered the oath of office Monday.
"I am deeply honored," Schimel said in a press release. "I want to thank everyone who has placed their trust in me once again. I am grateful for the opportunity to lead an office filled with exceptional attorneys, investigators and staff whose work often goes unseen, but whose impact is felt every single day in communities across the district."
As interim U.S. attorney, Schimel will supervise the prosecution of all federal crimes and the litigation of all civil matters in the eastern half of the state, which includes Milwaukee.
His new office includes around 82 prosecutors, civil litigators and support personnel and professional staff members, according to the public affairs officer. Schimel replaces Richard Frohling, who had served in an acting capacity since February and will return to his position as first assistant U.S. attorney.
Frohling has spearheaded the high-profile prosecution of Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan, who is charged with attempting to help an immigrant without legal status evade arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in April.
It is not yet clear whether Schimel will replace Frohling on the case, but with trial set to begin on Dec. 15, a substitution now could risk delaying the case.
Schimel served as Wisconsin attorney general for one term before losing reelection in 2019 to current state Attorney General Josh Kaul, a Democrat. He was then appointed to the Waukesha County Circuit Court by former Governor Scott Walker, a Republican.
Earlier this year, Schimel lost the race to fill a vacancy on the Wisconsin Supreme Court and flip the ideological majority from liberal to conservative.
The race became a referendum on President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, earning Schimel a coveted Trump endorsement and at least $20 million in spending from his former billionaire advisor. Schimel ran an anti-abortion, pro-Trump campaign that sharply contrasted that of his opponent.
The battle racked up a $100 million bill, making it the most expensive state Supreme Court race in American history.
Now, much like after his loss to Kaul, Schimel is once again being appointed to a position that he has publicly sought. Though Bondi only appointed him as interim U.S. attorney, he has already signaled plans to stick around.
"I am well aware that the word 'interim' appears in front of my title," Schimel said in a statement. "I am optimistic that this will become a longer-term opportunity, but whatever the case, I intend to work hard to support the team here."
It's common practice for a president to nominate new U.S. attorneys upon taking office, though the process usually begins at the state level.
Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin and Republican Senator Ron Johnson set up a bipartisan commission to take applications for open U.S. attorney positions and federal judicial appointments in Wisconsin - a tradition that dates back to 1979, according to Baldwin.
Baldwin said in a statement on Monday that Trump bypassed that commission to install his favored candidate.
"Over the years, Senator Johnson and I have worked together to set up this commission because, despite our differences, it is how we can work together to make sure we have high-quality, impartial and experienced people serving the people of Wisconsin. But today, President Trump blew it up."
She went on to point to Schimel's two resounding defeats running for Wisconsin attorney general and the Wisconsin Supreme Court as evidence that he was "soundly rejected" by voters "because they knew he would play politics with the law."
U.S. attorney positions are required to undergo Senate approval, which the Trump administration has skirted by making another temporary appointment to the post.
A federal judge found in August that another temporary U.S. attorney appointment was unlawfully holding over beyond the 120-day term limit, a ruling that the administration sidestepped. Acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba, previously Trump's personal attorney, continues to run New Jersey's federal court today.
Baldwin and Johnson could not be reached for comment on their U.S. attorney recommendations, but Johnson did endorse Schimel for the Wisconsin Supreme Court in January.
Source: Courthouse News Service
