This story has been updated to include information about a protest against Darin Smith’s nomination — Ed.

The U.S. Senate is poised to vote Monday to confirm Darin Smith as U.S. Attorney for Wyoming. Smith, a Jan. 6 marcher, is under fire for allegedly prejudicing a Wyoming grand jury earlier this year.

Serving as interim U.S. Attorney after being appointed by former U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, Smith was endorsed by the Senate Judiciary Committee on a party-line vote late last year. He is the top federal law enforcement officer in the state and served briefly as a state senator.

Democrats on the Judiciary Committee called him a MAGA loyalist and Jan. 6 marcher. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, said Smith is “an individual who has no background, none whatsoever, when it comes to criminal or federal court experience.” Smith, for his part, has said he sought to encourage marchers to “back the blue” as “agitators” pushed down barricades, according to an interview he gave to Cowboy State Daily at the time.

Wyoming’s congressional delegation has backed Smith. Since the Judiciary Committee and delegation endorsements, however, the candidate has run into more trouble.

Six defendants named in felony indictments claimed in April that Smith prejudiced a grand jury to the point that the charges against them must be dropped. The purported misconduct occurred when Smith allegedly called the six defendants “murderers” in front of the jury and before a judge had entered the room. A seventh defendant added to the misconduct allegations in May.

Smith’s nomination has stirred some grassroots opposition as well. A protest of his nomination is scheduled for 4 p.m. Friday at Riverton City Park.

Public defenders allege that Smith in April told the grand jurors that “every case” they would consider that day “involves bad people,” according to the defendants’ motions.Smith would serve four years if the Senate approves his nomination. The Senate’s Executive Calendar did not list a time for the vote.

Angus M. Thuermer Jr. is the natural resources reporter for WyoFile. He is a veteran Wyoming reporter and editor with more than 35 years experience in Wyoming. Contact him at angus@wyofile.com or (307)...

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  1. Not only is he an insurrectionist traitor, but also a liar. He was participating in the insurrection to tell everyone to “back the blue”?

    Typical chrump sycophant…

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  3. What a joke. Just when you think Wyoming could look any worse on the national stage, we appoint a treasonous Jan 6er to a top law enforcement position. Embarrassing.

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  5. Wyoming voted for this type of fame in the white house…why wouldn’t they want this garbage too? Asking for morality.

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  6. Smith is a bad pick, any way you cut it. How do these characters even make it so far in the selection process?

    Reply