Attorney General Pam Bondi has named Timothy Courchaine to serve as the Interim United States Attorney for the District of Arizona.
The announcement that Courchaine has already been sworn into the position stunned members of the legal community who had hoped the Trump administration would clean up the highly controversial Arizona office.
Trump insiders warn critics that the selection is merely temporary.
As Interim United States Attorney, Courchaine will supervise the prosecution of all federal crimes and the litigation of all civil matters in the District of Arizona in which the United States has an interest.
He leads a staff of approximately 350 prosecutors, civil litigators, and support personnel across Arizona.
Courchaine began his service to the District of Arizona in 2020 as an Assistant U.S. Attorney.
Prior to joining the Department of Justice, Courchaine served in the United States Marine Corps as a Judge Advocate and left the service as a Captain. He then served as a law clerk to Bill Montgomery on the Arizona Supreme Court from 2019 to 2020.
Courchaine received his J.D., from the University of Alabama in 2014 and his B.A. from California State University, Long Beach, in 2011.
The list of potential appointees has changed since the earlier days due to some hopefuls campaigning hard for the spot and missteps by others. Among the potential picks are Tim LaSota, Dennis Wilinchek, Jennifer Wright, Anthony Martin, and James Rogers. Former Arizona Supreme Court Justice Andrew Gould, a failed candidate in the Republican Primary for Arizona Attorney General in 2022, is rumored to be lobbying for the appointment.