After his term as interim U.S. Attorney expired, Brad Schimel has been named First Assistant U.S. Attorney.
Former Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel has been appointed First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, a move announced Wednesday by Attorney General Pam Bondi following the expiration of his interim U.S. Attorney term on Tuesday.
Schimel, who served as interim U.S. Attorney since November, saw his temporary appointment lapse when federal judges in the district declined to extend it or name him permanently.
“I am grateful for this opportunity to serve the people of the Eastern District of Wisconsin,” Schimel said in a news release announcing his appointment. “I will continue to work tirelessly to make the entire district safer and stronger.”
The appointment allows him to maintain leadership in the office under a new title, ensuring continuity in federal law enforcement efforts.
The battle over Schimel’s appointment underscores broader frustrations with the Senate’s “blue slip” tradition, a longstanding courtesy that gives home-state senators significant influence over judicial and U.S. Attorney nominations. Despite a Republican Senate majority almost certain to confirm him, the blue slip tradition effectively grants Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) veto power, sidelining merit in favor of partisan politics.
She has repeatedly used this process to block Schimel, labeling him a “clearly partisan actor” unfit for the top prosecutor position. Baldwin opposed his initial interim appointment after President Trump bypassed Wisconsin’s bipartisan nominating commission, whose Democrats (appointed by Baldwin) refused to vote for any Republican nominees.
Before Schimel’s term expired, Baldwin publicly urged against extending it and called for the commission to reconvene for new nominees.
Conservatives argued Baldwin has abused the blue slip privilege to obstruct eminently qualified Republican appointees like Schimel, who has served as state attorney general, circuit court judge, and district attorney.
