USA11 March, 20262 min read
Federal Judges in Milwaukee Refuse to Extend Interim U.S. Attorney Brad Schimel's Appointment
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Milwaukee federal judges declined to extend Brad Schimel's interim appointment beyond next week Attorney General Pam Bondi appointed Schimel to a 120-day interim term in November
Judges decline extension
Federal judges in Milwaukee announced on March 10 that they have decided not to extend interim U.S. Attorney Brad Schimel’s appointment beyond its expiration date of March 17.
“On March 10, 2026, federal judges that they decided not to extend interim U.S. Attorney Brad Schimel's appointment beyond March 17.”
A majority of the judges said they will wait for President Donald Trump and the U.S. Senate to nominate and confirm a full‑time U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
Appointment process
Schimel was appointed in November 2025 to a 120‑day interim term by Attorney General Pam Bondi. Federal law allows a district’s judges to extend an interim U.S. attorney’s appointment until a permanent appointee takes the position. The Eastern District’s judges said a majority declined to extend Schimel’s term and will let the presidential nomination and Senate confirmation process proceed.
Judges' statement
The judges’ public statement emphasized that declining to extend Schimel’s interim appointment was not a critique of his office’s performance. The court said it intended “no criticism or commentary” and added that “to the credit of that office… it has continued to represent the citizens of this district well.” Schimel declined to comment when reached by phone.
“‘In doing so, the Court intends no criticism or commentary on the performance or qualifications of the Interim United States Attorney or any of the attorneys in the United States Attorney’s Office,’ the judges said in a statement posted on the Eastern District’s website.”
Schimel's background
Brad Schimel’s record and the politics around his appointment were noted across coverage.
He is a Republican who served four terms as Waukesha County district attorney and won election as Wisconsin attorney general in 2014.
He lost a 2018 re‑election bid to Josh Kaul, was later appointed a Waukesha County judge, and ran for the state Supreme Court in 2025 where he lost to Susan Crawford.
His interim appointment drew criticism from Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin, who said the administration was sidestepping the bipartisan nominating commission long used in Wisconsin.
Context and cases
Coverage placed the decision in a wider context of disputes over interim appointments.
“The Trump 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.”
One piece noted the Trump administration’s prior use of an interim nomination to install Alina Habba as U.S. attorney in New Jersey.
That report said Habba stayed on beyond her 120‑day tenure and that a federal judge later ruled she was “unlawfully” working as U.S. Attorney.
Reporters also noted that as U.S. attorney Schimel oversees federal criminal investigations and prosecutions, including the high‑profile prosecution of Hannah Dugan.