Brad Schimel

Brad Schimel
Born	Brad David Schimel 2/18/1965
Birthplace	West Allis, Wisconsin, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Attorney, politician, former judge
Title	Interim United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
Known for	44th Attorney General of Wisconsin, Interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
Education	University of Wisconsin–Madison (JD)
Spouse(s)	Sandi Schimel
Children	2

Brad David Schimel (born February 18, 1965) is an American attorney, former judge, and Republican politician who has held several prominent legal and political positions in Wisconsin over a career spanning more than two decades. Born in West Allis, Wisconsin, Schimel rose through the ranks of the state's legal establishment, serving as District Attorney of Waukesha County from 2007 to 2015, as the 44th Attorney General of Wisconsin from 2015 to 2019, and as a Wisconsin circuit court judge in Waukesha County from 2019 to 2025. In November 2025, United States Attorney General Pam Bondi appointed him as interim United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, a position that became the subject of significant legal and political controversy in early 2026 when federal judges in Milwaukee declined to extend his temporary appointment beyond its 120-day term. In 2025, Schimel was an unsuccessful candidate for the Wisconsin Supreme Court in what was described as the most expensive judicial race in American history. His career has been characterized by involvement in several nationally significant legal battles, including efforts to overturn the Affordable Care Act and the high-profile case of Brendan Dassey.

Early Life

Brad David Schimel was born on February 18, 1965, in West Allis, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee located in Milwaukee County. He grew up in the greater Milwaukee metropolitan area, a region that would remain central to his professional and political life. Details regarding his parents, siblings, and childhood upbringing are not extensively documented in available public sources.

Schimel's early years in West Allis, a working-class community with deep roots in Wisconsin's manufacturing economy, shaped his connection to the suburban and exurban communities of southeastern Wisconsin. Waukesha County, which borders Milwaukee County to the west, would later become the geographic center of his political career and a stronghold of Republican political activity in the state.

Education

Schimel attended the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. He subsequently enrolled at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Law, where he earned his Juris Doctor degree. Both institutions are part of the University of Wisconsin System, and Schimel's legal education at the state's flagship law school provided the foundation for his career in public prosecution and state-level legal offices.

Career

District Attorney of Waukesha County

Schimel's political career began in 2006 when he ran for the position of District Attorney of Waukesha County as a Republican. He won the election and succeeded Paul Bucher in the role, taking office on January 3, 2007. As district attorney, Schimel oversaw criminal prosecutions in one of Wisconsin's most populous counties, a suburban jurisdiction west of Milwaukee known as a reliable base of Republican support in statewide elections.

Schimel served as district attorney for eight years, during which time he built a reputation within Republican legal circles in Wisconsin. His tenure in the office provided him with extensive experience in criminal law and prosecutorial management, which he later leveraged in his campaign for higher office.

In October 2013, Schimel announced his candidacy for Attorney General of Wisconsin, seeking to succeed J.B. Van Hollen, who had announced he would not seek a third term in the office. Van Hollen subsequently endorsed Schimel's candidacy in the Republican primary.

Attorney General of Wisconsin (2015–2019)

Schimel won the 2014 general election for Attorney General of Wisconsin, defeating Democratic candidate Susan Happ, who was then the district attorney of Jefferson County. He took office as the 44th Attorney General of Wisconsin on January 5, 2015, succeeding Van Hollen.

Affordable Care Act Lawsuit

One of the most nationally significant actions of Schimel's tenure as attorney general was his role in leading a coalition of 20 states in filing a lawsuit seeking to overturn the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the federal healthcare law signed by President Barack Obama in 2010. The multi-state legal challenge represented one of the most prominent Republican-led efforts to dismantle the ACA through the courts and drew significant national attention to Schimel's office.

Brendan Dassey Case

Schimel's office played a central role in the legal proceedings surrounding Brendan Dassey, whose case gained international attention following the release of the Netflix documentary series Making a Murderer. Dassey had been convicted in 2007 of helping his uncle, Steven Avery, murder photographer Teresa Halbach in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin. Federal courts later scrutinized Dassey's confession, which he gave as a teenager, with some courts finding that it had been coerced.

As attorney general, Schimel fought to uphold Dassey's conviction. After a federal appeals court ruling in Dassey's favor was reversed, the case was appealed to the United States Supreme Court. In June 2018, the Supreme Court declined to hear the case, effectively leaving Dassey's conviction in place. Schimel's office had argued against the Supreme Court reviewing the confession.

Partisan Redistricting Case

During Schimel's tenure, the Wisconsin Attorney General's office was involved in defending the state's legislative redistricting maps, which had been challenged as an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander. The case, Gill v. Whitford, reached the United States Supreme Court, which heard oral arguments during its 2017–2018 term. The Supreme Court ultimately issued a ruling that effectively ended the Wisconsin gerrymandering challenge on procedural grounds, finding that the plaintiffs had not demonstrated sufficient standing to bring the case.

Anti-Abortion Advocacy

As attorney general, Schimel advocated for anti-abortion positions, aligning his office with broader Republican efforts to restrict abortion access at the state and federal levels. The specifics of individual actions taken by his office on this issue are documented in various state records and news reports from his tenure.

2018 Re-election Defeat

Schimel sought re-election as attorney general in 2018 but was defeated by Democratic challenger Josh Kaul, the son of former Wisconsin Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager's contemporary and a former federal prosecutor. The 2018 election took place in a political environment that was broadly favorable to Democrats in Wisconsin, as the same election saw incumbent Republican Governor Scott Walker lose his re-election bid to Democrat Tony Evers. Schimel's loss ended his four-year tenure as attorney general, and Kaul succeeded him on January 7, 2019.

Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge (2019–2025)

Following his defeat in the 2018 attorney general race, Schimel was appointed as a Wisconsin circuit court judge in Waukesha County by outgoing Governor Scott Walker, who made the appointment during the final days of his administration. Schimel was assigned to Branch 6 of the Waukesha County Circuit Court, succeeding Judge Patrick Haughney. He took the bench on January 7, 2019, the same day his successor as attorney general, Josh Kaul, was sworn in.

Schimel's time on the bench was not without controversy. In October 2020, Chief Justice Patience Roggensack reportedly removed Schimel from his courtroom during a dispute over mask-wearing protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic. The incident drew media attention and raised questions about Schimel's approach to pandemic-era public health measures in the courtroom.

Also in October 2020, Schimel faced scrutiny for serving as an emcee at a Republican event featuring United States Senator Ron Johnson. Questions were raised about whether a sitting judge's participation in a partisan political event constituted a violation of judicial ethics rules, which generally restrict judges from engaging in political activity.

In October 2020, President Donald Trump held a campaign rally in Waukesha at which Schimel appeared, further underscoring his continued connections to Republican Party politics during his time on the bench.

Schimel served as a circuit court judge until July 31, 2025, when he was succeeded by Zach Wittchow.

2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court Campaign

In 2023, Schimel began preparing to launch a campaign for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in the April 2025 election. Reports indicated that Schimel was actively preparing his candidacy while other potential candidates, including Jennifer Lazar, were still considering whether to enter the race. Schimel formally launched his bid for the state Supreme Court later in 2023.

The 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court race was described as the most expensive judicial election in American history, reflecting the increasingly high-stakes and polarized nature of state supreme court contests across the United States. Schimel was ultimately unsuccessful in his bid for the court. His defeat in the race preceded his subsequent appointment as interim United States Attorney.

Interim United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin (2025–2026)

On November 17, 2025, United States Attorney General Pam Bondi appointed Schimel as interim United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, which is headquartered in Milwaukee. He succeeded Gregory Haanstad, with Richard G. Frohling having served in an acting capacity.

The appointment was made under the federal Vacancies Reform Act, which allows the Attorney General to appoint an interim U.S. Attorney for a period of 120 days, after which federal judges in the district may appoint a replacement if the president has not nominated and the Senate has not confirmed a permanent appointee. Schimel's appointment came during a period of broader controversy over the Trump administration's approach to staffing federal prosecutor positions across the country.

In March 2026, the appointment became a subject of significant legal and political attention when a majority of the federal judges in the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced that they would not extend Schimel's interim appointment beyond the initial 120-day term. The decision was reported by multiple news outlets as a notable development in the ongoing tensions between the federal judiciary and the executive branch regarding prosecutorial appointments.

Following the judges' decision, United States Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin released a statement indicating that he would work with fellow Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin to reopen discussions regarding nominations for U.S. Attorney positions in the state.

Reports indicated that Schimel would be leaving the U.S. Attorney post as a result of the judges' decision not to extend his appointment.

Personal Life

Schimel is married to Sandi Schimel. The couple has two children. The family has been based in the Waukesha County area, which has been central to Schimel's professional and political career.

Schimel is a member of the Republican Party and has maintained close ties to Republican political figures throughout his career, including former Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, who appointed him to the circuit court bench, and United States Senator Ron Johnson, with whom he appeared at political events.

Recognition

Schimel's career has been marked by his election and appointment to several prominent legal positions in Wisconsin. His election as Attorney General of Wisconsin in 2014 represented the culmination of his rise through Waukesha County politics, and his appointment as interim United States Attorney in 2025 placed him at the center of federal law enforcement in eastern Wisconsin during a period of significant national political debate over the independence of federal prosecutors.

His involvement in the multi-state lawsuit against the Affordable Care Act and the Brendan Dassey case brought national attention to his office. The 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court race in which Schimel was a candidate drew nationwide attention due to its record-setting spending levels, reflecting the growing significance of state supreme court elections in American politics.

The March 2026 decision by federal judges not to extend his interim U.S. Attorney appointment was covered extensively by national media outlets, including the Associated Press, The Hill, and The Daily Beast, as part of broader reporting on tensions between the judiciary and the executive branch under the Trump administration.