WISCONSIN – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) released the following statement after President Trump bypassed Senators Baldwin and Ron Johnson’s (R-WI) bipartisan judicial nominating commission and installed failed politician Brad Schimel for a top prosecutor job in Wisconsin:
“Over the years, Senator Johnson and I have worked together to set up this commission because, despite our differences, it is how we can work together to make sure we have high quality, impartial, and experienced people serving the people of Wisconsin. Before today, Presidents of both parties have respected that. But today, President Trump blew it up and is ignoring Wisconsinites of all stripes. Brad 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. As President Trump politicizes our justice system, it is more important than ever that the people serving in the courts and on the bench are committed to upholding the rule of law, not loyalty to the President.”
Today, President Trump announced that he was installing Schimel to be the interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. U.S. Attorney positions are required to be Senate-approved, and interim appointments are limited to only 120 days. However, the Trump administration has skirted this law to keep in place other U.S. Attorneys, who were ardent supporters of the President, in place longer than the legally limited 120 days.
At the start of the 119th Congress, Baldwin and Johnson set up their bipartisan judicial nominating commission, which was first established by Wisconsin’s U.S. Senators in 1979. The Commission has six members, with each Senator nominating three. The Commission takes applications for open U.S. Attorney positions and federal judicial appointments that cover Wisconsin and then makes recommendations to the U.S. Senators. Presidents of both political parties have respected Wisconsin’s unique process, until now.
An online version of this release is available here.
