Acting U.S. Attorney job expires for ex-Pasco mayor. What happens next?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Serrano became interim U.S. Attorney for Eastern District of Washington in August.
- His interim appointment ends Dec. 9. Eastern District can reappoint or replace him.
- Sen. Patty Murray plans to block a Senate confirmation via blue slip if he is nominated.
Pete Serrano’s job as the interim U.S. Attorney for Eastern Washington expires Tuesday, Dec. 9.
The former Pasco mayor has held the post as the top federal prosecutor for the Eastern District for four months but the Trump administration never formally nominated him for the job.
He resigned as mayor in August to take the temporary appointment as interim U.S. Attorney based in Spokane. And the Trump administration cannot reappoint Serrano to another 120 days as interim U.S. Attorney.
However, the U.S. District Court judges in Eastern Washington could decide in the next few days to allow Serrano to continue serving temporarily until the Trump administration decides what to do next.
Or the judges could let Serrano’s interim appointment expire and appoint someone else.
The Trump administration also has a couple choices.
Serrano could be appointed to a different federal position or could decide to formally nominate Serrano for the job. Then, the U.S. Senate confirmation process would begin.
But U.S. Sen. Patty Murray has vowed to vigorously fight Serrano’s permanent appointment, saying she would use a “blue slip” process to block his confirmation, the Washington State Standard reported on Aug. 28.
At the time, she said, “His extreme right-wing views are far out of step with the people of Washington state, and I will be using every legislative tool I have to block his confirmation.”
As the interim U.S. Attorney, he has been supervising the prosecution of federal crimes and civil cases in Eastern Washington. He leads a staff of about 79 prosecutors, civil litigators and support staff.
At the same time, while Serrano has been waiting to be formally nominated for the federal job, he was re-elected to the Pasco City Council.
He didn’t campaign for the position, but his name appeared on the November ballot because it was too late to have his name removed. No one else filed for the District 4 position, so he swept the election.
But he only has until the end of December to be sworn in again to the council or lose out on accepting that post.
Even that would take a special meeting because the city council has no more scheduled sessions this year.
If he isn’t sworn in, Pasco will ask candidates to apply for the open position.
Serrano could not be reached Monday about his plans.
