Brad Schimel Named Top Federal Prosecutor for Eastern Wisconsin
Interim appointment by Trump administration sidesteps established process.
Brad Schimel. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Brad Schimel was named interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin by President Donald Trump‘s administration, sidestepping the traditional appointment processes.
Schimel, who recently lost a bid for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, was appointed by Attorney General Pam Bondi, according to a statement by the U.S. Department of Justice. He will take over for acting U.S. Attorney Richard Frohling, who has led the office since the Trump administration fired Gregory Haanstad, a former U.S. Attorney nominated under President Joe Biden.
“I am deeply honored to be appointed Interim United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. For more than three and a half decades, public service has been my calling – first as a young prosecutor in Waukesha County, then as District Attorney, Attorney General, and most recently as a judge,” Schimel said in a statement. “In every one of those roles, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside dedicated professionals who believe, as I do, that justice isn’t just a system – it’s a promise we make to the people we serve.”
Schimel, has previously run for office as a Republican. He served four terms as Waukesha County District Attorney and one term as Wisconsin Attorney General. Since 2018, he has served as a Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge. His interim appointment sidesteps a bipartisan nominating commission and the Senate confirmation process for U.S. Attorneys in Wisconsin.
The president has the authority to nominate U.S. Attorneys pending confirmation by the U.S. Senate. Federal law provides for the U.S. Attorney General to nominate interim U.S. Attorneys for a period of 120 days. The administration previously used an interim nomination to install Trump’s personal attorney Alina Habba as U.S. Attorney for New Jersey. Habba stayed on beyond her 120-day interim tenure and a federal judge ruled in August that Habba was “unlawfully” working as U.S. Attorney.
Schimel said he is “optimistic that this will become a longer-term opportunity.”
In Wisconsin, U.S. Attorneys have been nominated by the bipartisan Wisconsin Federal Nomination Commission since it was established in 1979 by then senators William Proxmire and Gaylord Nelson. Sen. Tammy Baldwin charges that the Trump administration is sidestepping the commission established by herself and Sen. Ron Johnson at the start of the 119th congress.
“Before today, Presidents of both parties have respected that. But today, President Trump blew it up and is ignoring Wisconsinites of all stripes,” Baldwin said. “Brad Schimel was soundly rejected twice by Wisconsinites because they knew he would play politics with the law, not deliver justice fairly for everyone – and he has no business being a top prosecutor in Wisconsin. As President Trump politicizes our justice system, it is more important than ever that the people serving in the courts and on the bench are committed to upholding the rule of law, not loyalty to the President.”
Johnson’s office did not respond to a request for comment prior to publishing.
Schimel was defeated in 2018 in his attempt to be reelected Wisconsin Attorney General by Democrat Josh Kaul. In April, Schimel was defeated by Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Susan Crawford in the race to replace retiring justice Ann Walsh Bradley. The race attracted national attention, and record-breaking political spending. Trump endorsed Schimel, and Trump-ally Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, spent $25 million to try to elect Schimel.
As U.S. Attorney, Schimel will be the top federal prosecutor for the eastern district, overseeing federal criminal investigations and prosecutions. Frohling will once again become First Assistant United States Attorney, the second highest ranking official in the office.
Frohling is currently leading the high-profile prosecution of Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan, who faces federal criminal charges of allegedly obstructing a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation and concealing an individual from arrest on April 18 at the Milwaukee County Courthouse.
The case has become entangled in the politics surrounding the Trump administration’s heavy-handed immigration policies and battles against the judiciary. Top Trump administration officials, including Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel, have made statements bringing it national attention.
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