Milwaukee Federal Judges Refuse to Extend Interim U.S. Attorney Brad Schimel’s Term

Federal judges in the Eastern District of Wisconsin said Tuesday they will not extend Interim U.S. Attorney Brad Schimel’s 120‑day appointment beyond its March 17 expiration, opting instead to wait for President Donald Trump to nominate and the Senate to confirm a permanent U.S. attorney. Attorney General Pam Bondi installed Schimel in November 2025, and under federal law the district’s judges could have kept him in place indefinitely, but a majority declined, stressing in a public statement that the decision is not a criticism of Schimel or his office, which they said has "continued to represent the citizens of this district well." The move will leave the Milwaukee‑based office, which covers the eastern third of Wisconsin, without a judge‑appointed interim leader at a time when the Trump Justice Department is already under fire in other districts for workarounds on U.S. attorney appointments. Schimel, a former Republican state attorney general and current Waukesha County judge, recently oversaw the controversial federal obstruction conviction of Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan, and he declined comment on the judges’ decision. The episode underscores how some federal judges are now insisting the administration follow the Constitution’s appointments process rather than relying on extended interim tenures to run key prosecutorial posts.