Matthew Krueger, Scott Blader to resign as US attorneys

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The U.S. attorneys for Wisconsin’s Eastern and Western District are resigning from their positions as the districts’ chief law enforcement officers.

Matthew Krueger, who serves the Eastern District, and Scott Blader, who serves the Western District, announced their resignations on Thursday. The announcements come as the U.S. Justice Department said it will ask U.S. attorneys who were appointed by former President Donald Trump to step down from their posts as part of the Biden administration’s transition to its own nominees, a senior Justice Department official said Monday.

Krueger to leave Feb. 20, joining private firm

Krueger plans to join a private law firm upon leaving office on Feb. 20. In a statement, Krueger said serving as U.S. attorney has been the greatest privilege of his professional life. Senators Tammy Baldwin and Ron Johnson recommended him to President Donald Trump for nomination, and he was sworn in on Feb. 22, 2018.

Officials from the Eastern District said under Krueger’s leadership, the office recovered more than $85 million dollars in criminal and civil cases, hired dozens of new staff employees and increased diversity within the office.

Before taking office, Krueger served nearly five years as an assistant U.S. attorney prosecuting both civil and criminal violations involving healthcare fraud, procurement fraud, tax fraud, bank fraud, securities fraud, and violent crime. He previously practiced complex trial and appellate litigation with Sidley Austin in Washington, DC.

He began his legal career as a law clerk for the Honorable Paul V. Niemeyer on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. He then served as a Bristow Fellow in the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Solicitor General. He’s a University of Minnesota Law School graduate.

Richard G. Frohling, who has served as the first assistant U.S. attorney during Krueger’s time in office, will become the acting U.S. attorney. He’s been with the Eastern district since 2000 and has served as first assistant U.S. attorney since 2015.

Krueger called Frohling a consummate professional and trusted advisor, and he said the office would be in steady hands.

Blader resigns effective Feb. 26

Blader’s resignation is effective Feb. 26. He has not announced his plans following leaving office.

Blader, who is also a Trump nominee, has been the U.S. attorney for the Western District since 2017. Prior to taking office, he served as Waushara County district attorney for 10 years.

Officials said he prioritized outreach efforts to law enforcement agencies during his tenure, resulting in a 63% increase in all cases filed between 2017-19.

In a statement, Blader said serving as U.S. attorney has been the most rewarding experience of his professional career. He thanked Attorneys General William Barr and Jeff Sessions for their trust, leadership and support.

The Western District has not announced who will serve as acting U.S. attorney following Blader’s departure. Follow @WLJReporter