Kruger, Leary confirmed as U.S. Attorneys for Mississippi

• The confirmation of Kruger and Leary on Thursday came as part of a large tranche of nominees that had been held up in the confirmation process for weeks.

The U.S. Senate has now confirmed James “Baxter” Kruger of Jackson and Scott Leary of Water Valley to serve as the United States Attorneys for Mississippi’s southern and northern districts, respectively.

President Donald Trump (R) nominated Kruger and Leary to the posts in July,

Kruger has served as the Executive Director of the Mississippi Office of Homeland Security. Prior to serving in the office, Kruger was an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi’s Criminal Division from 2019 to 2021.

Leary has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Mississippi. He came to the Oxford office as a prosecutor after serving in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Tennessee from 2002 to 2008.

The confirmation of Kruger and Leary on Thursday came as part of a large tranche of nominees that had been held up in the confirmation process for weeks. When the dust settled, the Senate voted 53 to 43 to confirm the two Mississippians along with dozens of others en bloc. All Republicans backed the nominees while all Democrats voted in opposition.

Mississippi’s U.S. Senators Roger Wicker (R) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R) strongly supported Kruger and Leary, speaking on their behalf during the confirmation process. The two Senators issued a joint statement congratulating the new U.S. Attorneys.

“We are pleased to congratulate Baxter Kruger and Scott Leary for their confirmation to be United States Attorneys for Mississippi. With their legal and law enforcement experience, these men have developed deep knowledge of Mississippi precedent and have exhibited sound and fair judgment in their careers,” Wicker and Hyde-Smith said. “As they take on these new roles, we are confident in their leadership.  We trust they will oversee federal investigations and criminal prosecutions in Mississippi with professionalism and respect for the rule of law.”