Federal judges in Milwaukee decline to extend interim U.S. attorney Brad Schimel’s appointment
Interim tenure set to end March 17 as judges say they will await a presidential nominee
Brad D. Schimel is set to leave his role as interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin after federal judges in the district declined to extend his appointment beyond its statutory end date of March 17, 2026. The Eastern District is headquartered in Milwaukee and covers the eastern third of Wisconsin.
The decision was announced March 10, 2026, in a court statement indicating that a majority of the district’s judges opted not to continue Schimel’s interim service. The statement also said the decision was not intended as criticism of Schimel or the work of the U.S. attorney’s office, and described the office as continuing to represent the public effectively during the interim period.
The court’s statement emphasized that declining to extend the appointment was not meant as commentary on performance or qualifications.
Schimel began serving as interim U.S. attorney on November 17, 2025, after being appointed by the U.S. attorney general to a 120-day term. Under federal law, an attorney general’s interim appointment to a U.S. attorney position is limited to 120 days. If a presidentially nominated, Senate-confirmed U.S. attorney is not in place when that term expires, the statute provides a mechanism for the district court to appoint a U.S. attorney to serve until a confirmed appointee takes office.
In this instance, the Eastern District’s judges said they would not use that authority to keep Schimel in the interim role. Instead, they signaled that the next step should be a presidential nomination followed by U.S. Senate confirmation for a permanent U.S. attorney.
What the U.S. attorney does and what changes now
The U.S. attorney is the federal government’s chief prosecutor and civil litigator within a judicial district, overseeing federal criminal prosecutions and representing the United States in civil matters. The Eastern District of Wisconsin’s office includes prosecutors, civil litigators, and professional staff and operates primarily from Milwaukee, with additional operations in the district.
The judges’ announcement does not by itself name who will lead the office after March 17. The office’s day-to-day operations are expected to continue while the federal appointment process unfolds.
Schimel’s recent public profile
Before his interim appointment, Schimel served as Waukesha County district attorney, was elected Wisconsin attorney general in 2014, and later became a Waukesha County circuit judge. His interim appointment placed him at the helm of a high-visibility federal prosecutorial office in Wisconsin’s largest metro area.
Appointment date: November 17, 2025
Statutory term length for attorney general interim U.S. attorney appointment: 120 days
Scheduled end of interim term: March 17, 2026
With the judges declining an extension, attention turns to the formal nomination and confirmation process for a permanent U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.