Dan Bishop appointed interim US attorney for NC’s Middle District federal courts
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- Former Rep. Dan Bishop named interim U.S. attorney for Middle District NC.
- Office covers federal prosecutions in three courthouses across 24 counties.
- Bishop pledges collaboration with federal, state and local law enforcement.
Former Rep. Dan Bishop will temporarily lead the prosecutions for federal cases in 24 of North Carolina’s central counties, the Department of Justice announced in a news release Wednesday.
McClatchy first reported Bishop, a Republican, was under consideration by President Donald Trump for a nomination to the position last week, after Sen. Thom Tillis exclusively confirmed the news.
Bishop posted on social media over the weekend that he was spending his last evening in Washington, D.C.
“A memorable six years,” he added.
“I’m eager to lead the Middle District prosecutors and staff and forge an unprecedentedly collaborative relationship with the men and women of federal, state and local law enforcement in all its counties in order to make and keep North Carolina safe,” Bishop said in a news release. “I’m most grateful to President Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi for this additional opportunity to serve, and I’m thrilled to be home.”
The Middle District prosecutor’s office oversees federal court cases at three courthouses in Durham, Greensboro and Winston-Salem. The district’s 24 counties stretch from the Virginia to the South Carolina borders.
Bishop, who holds a law degree from UNC-Chapel Hill, last lived in Waxhaw, while representing North Carolina’s 8th Congressional District in Congress. He previously served in the state legislature, where he became known as the author of the bathroom bill that became known nationally for preventing transgender people from using the bathrooms in government buildings matching the gender they identify with.
His congressional career began in September 2019 and continued until January, after he chose not to seek reelection and instead run for attorney general. Former Rep. Jeff Jackson won that election.
Trump then nominated Bishop to serve as deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget under Director Russell Vought.
OMB did not respond to requests from McClatchy regarding Bishop’s employment last week. Neither did The White House, though they confirmed to the Federalist that Trump plans to nominate him to the position.
Wednesday’s announcement comes after an appointment made by Bondi, and allows him to serve without a Senate confirmation.
If Trump nominates him to permanently take over the position, he would need to go before the Senate for approval.
Prior to Bishop’s appointment, Clifton Barrett was serving as interim U.S. attorney after Sandra Hairston resigned from the position in January, when Trump took office.
This story was originally published November 12, 2025 at 5:04 PM.
