MILWAUKEE — Former Waukesha County prosecutor and judge Brad Schimel has been appointed as the interim US Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, a position he secured in just 2.5 weeks.
"She ultimately made the decision," Schimel said of U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. "This all came together in about 2.5 weeks."
Schimel, who has spent most of his career as a prosecutor — first as Waukesha County District Attorney, then as the state's Attorney General — said he originally wanted the permanent position but pursued the interim role when the traditional presidential nomination and Senate confirmation process didn't produce results.
The appointment process involved others within the Department of Justice, but not President Trump directly, according to Schimel.
"He may not even know about this appointment because this isn't a presidential appointment, it's an Attorney General interim appointment," Schimel said.
Watch: 'I'm going to work hard': Brad Schimel takes interim US Attorney role for Eastern District of Wisconsin
Schimel said he has known Bondi since their days as state attorneys general.
The appointment drew criticism from Senator Tammy Baldwin, who said 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."
"I'm disappointed, said Schimel. The public doesn't want to hear that stuff. They don't want this kind of political vitriol."
Schimel lost a politically divisive state Supreme Court race in April - the most expensive in the nation's history but maintains that politics will not influence prosecutorial decisions in his new role.
"I can't control all of the environment, but we can control what we do here in this office, and we're not going to do things based on politics," Schimel said.
He praised the integrity of the federal prosecutors he now oversees in the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
"This office has an excellent reputation for integrity, for ethical conduct," Schimel said. "That's part of what attracted me here. I've worked with people in this office for over three decades."
During his interviews with the deputy attorney general, Schimel outlined his priorities for the office: human trafficking, major drug trafficking and violence in communities.
The federal case against Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan, who faces allegations of helping an undocumented immigrant avoid arrest by ICE, has attracted political attention. Her trial is set for next month. While Schimel said he will not be involved in the court case, he is aware of plea deal negotiations.
"It's always possible, you know that nearly all cases resolve short of trial, so there are discussions," Schimel said.
The interim position is set for 120 days, though Schimel could serve longer if federal judges at the U.S Courthouse in Milwaukee review his position and decide to extend his time in the role.
"I'm going to work hard to do as much as I can while I'm here, said Schimel. I'm going to work hard to try to make this last longer."
This story was reported on-air by Charles Benson and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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