Freed Sworn in as US Attorney in Harrisburg

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David Freed.[/caption] President Donald Trump's pick for U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, David J. Freed, was sworn into office in Harrisburg on Monday. Freed, 47, was nominated by Trump in September and was confirmed by the Senate on Nov. 15. He replaces interim U.S. Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, who took over a year ago upon the resignation of Peter J. Smith. Smith had served as the top federal prosecutor in Harrisburg and the 33 counties of the Middle District since his nomination by President Barack Obama in 2010. “It is a true honor to be sworn in to work alongside of the excellent career prosecutors, civil attorneys and staff of the Middle District," Freed said in a statement released by the U.S. Attorney's Office on Monday. "I look forward to continuing the great work of the office on behalf of our citizens.” Freed served as Cumberland County’s district attorney for 12 years. He previously served for five years as first assistant district attorney in the office and handled the prosecution of homicides, violent felonies, arson and drug cases. Additionally, he was a prosecutor in York County. At the time of his nomination, Freed drew criticism for not vetting an unpaid, volunteer clerk with ties to controversial alt-right leader Richard Spencer, Penn Live first reported. The now-former clerk, Evan McLaren, is currently executive director of Spencer’s National Policy Institute. Freed, who said he did not personally know McLaren, then vowed to expand his office’s vetting process for clerks. Trump also nominated corporate lawyer and former federal prosecutor Scott W. Brady for the Western District, though he has not yet been confirmed by the Senate. Brady is currently in charge of litigation for Federated Investors Inc. His prosecutorial experience dates back to his time in the Pittsburgh U.S. Attorney’s Office, where from 2004 to 2010 he handled white-collar, violent crime and drug trafficking cases. Prior to that he worked at Reed Smith and Jones Day, where his practice focused on multidistrict litigation, white-collar criminal matters and internal investigations. Brady, if confirmed, would go on to replace acting U.S. Attorney Soo C. Song, who took over for David Hickton. Hickton, a Democrat, was the first U.S. attorney in the country to resign after Trump’s election. The federal prosecutors' office in Philadelphia, headquarters of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, has yet to have a nominee announced by the administration, but The Legal first reported days after Trump’s election last November that William M. McSwain, a criminal defense lawyer with Drinker Biddle & Reath, former federal prosecutor, and Marine Corps. veteran is the likely candidate for the U.S. attorney slot there.