Senate Confirms Ex-Fox News Host Pirro as DC Top Federal Prosecutor/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ The Senate confirmed former Fox News host Jeanine Pirro as U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C. She replaces withdrawn nominee Ed Martin Jr., who faced GOP opposition. Pirro, a former judge and DA, has significant legal experience.
Jeanine Pirro Confirmation Quick Looks
- Jeanine Pirro confirmed 50-45 as D.C.’s top prosecutor
- Follows withdrawal of Ed Martin Jr.’s controversial nomination
- Pirro previously co-hosted Fox News’ “The Five”
- Served as acting U.S. Attorney since May
- Lawsuit from Smartmatic over 2020 election lies still pending
- Senate Judiciary Democrats boycotted her committee vote
- Former DA and judge with decades of legal experience
- Trump previously pardoned Pirro’s ex-husband for tax crimes
Deep Look: Jeanine Pirro Confirmed as U.S. Attorney for Nation’s Capital After Contentious Process
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Fox News personality and longtime legal figure Jeanine Pirro was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Friday as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, securing a vital federal legal post after weeks of political maneuvering and partisan strife.
Pirro’s confirmation, passed in a 50-45 vote, marks the conclusion of a tumultuous nomination process initiated by President Donald Trump, who initially tapped conservative activist Ed Martin Jr. for the role. Martin’s nomination was ultimately rescinded after Republican pushback over his past support of January 6 rioters.
Pirro, who served as acting U.S. Attorney since May, now permanently steps into one of the most scrutinized legal roles in the country. Before returning to public legal service, she gained national attention as a co-host on Fox News’ “The Five”, where she frequently advocated for Trump-era policies and conducted interviews with the president himself.
Though Pirro’s media career raised concerns among some Senate Democrats, her legal pedigree proved stronger than Martin’s. A graduate of Albany Law School, Pirro first became a Westchester County Court judge in 1990, then served three consecutive terms as the elected district attorney in New York’s Westchester County, amassing significant trial and courtroom experience.
Her nomination advanced to the Senate floor despite a boycott by Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee, who refused to attend the committee session in protest over the unrelated nomination of Emil Bove to a federal appeals court. GOP committee members unanimously approved her nomination during the walkout.
Pirro’s confirmation represents a clear shift from Trump’s original pick. Ed Martin Jr., whose lack of prosecutorial experience and support for Capitol riot defendants made him politically toxic, was reassigned as the Justice Department’s pardon attorney after his nomination faltered.
Pirro’s name has not been free from controversy. In 2021, she was named in a $2.7 billion libel lawsuit filed by voting technology firm Smartmatic USA against Fox News. The suit, filed in New York, accused Pirro and others of spreading falsehoods about the 2020 election being “stolen” from Trump — an allegation that remains under litigation.
Despite this legal shadow, Pirro’s supporters praised her courtroom acumen and long-standing experience in criminal prosecution.
“She brings decades of legal and prosecutorial knowledge to one of the most important justice positions in the country,” a Senate Republican aide told reporters following the vote.
Notably, President Trump pardoned Pirro’s ex-husband, Albert Pirro, in the final hours of his first term in 2021. Albert Pirro had been convicted in 2000 for tax evasion and conspiracy.
With her confirmation now complete, Pirro is set to oversee prosecutions in the District of Columbia, a jurisdiction that handles high-profile political, national security, and public corruption cases.
As partisan tensions over judicial appointments continue to mount, Pirro’s appointment underscores Trump’s commitment to placing loyalists with media clout and legal chops in influential legal positions — even amid resistance from Democrats and skepticism from within his own party.
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