Former Fox News host Jeanine Pirro announced the latest criminal indictments and sentences in Washington, D.C., in her first official act as interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, following her appointment by President Donald Trump. Just hours after being sworn in, Pirro held a Wednesday evening briefing to unveil the sentencing of two men involved in a broad-daylight drive-by shooting near a D.C. elementary school.
Rasheed Mullins, 27, and Josiah Warfield, 24, were each sentenced to over seven years in federal prison for their roles in an April 2024 drive-by shooting. Mullins received a 90-month sentence, while Warfield was sentenced to 100 months. Both men will also serve five years of supervised release following their prison terms. Earlier this year, they each pleaded guilty to assault with intent to kill while armed.
On Thursday, Pirro’s office also announced the indictment of Te’Vaughn Brown, 20, on charges of felony assault against a senior citizen outside a Nationals baseball game last August. His trial is scheduled to begin on July 14. Pirro’s swearing-in earlier this week came with little public attention, likely due to President Trump’s ongoing diplomatic visit to the Middle East.
A former New York prosecutor, Pirro succeeds Ed Martin, who served briefly in an interim role after failing to gain sufficient Republican support in the Senate for confirmation. Under federal law, her interim appointment is valid for 120 days while the position remains officially vacant.
In light of Pirro’s appointment, Democratic lawmakers are questioning Trump’s decision to name a second interim attorney for the nation’s capital without Senate approval. This “untested and unprecedented use of the interim appointment authority … could subject the interim appointee’s actions to legal challenge,” Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) said on X this week.
Addressing these concerns to the Washington Examiner, principal deputy press secretary Harris Fields said, “The appointment of Judge Jeanine Pirro to be the interim United States Attorney for the District of Columbia is consistent with the law and the long-standing advice of the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel.”
Despite Durbin’s concerns, Republicans have largely rallied behind Pirro. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) called the move a “home run,” and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) praised her prosecutorial experience. It’s not clear if Trump will seek to nominate Pirro permanently to the post, which would require Senate confirmation.
