Darcie N. McElwee, a longtime employee in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maine, has been nominated to be the state’s top federal prosecutor.
Darcie McElwee Photo courtesy Sen. Susan Collins’ office
McElwee’s nomination, announced by President Biden, was one of eight U.S. attorneys nominated by the president Tuesday. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, she will succeed Halsey B. Frank, who was appointed U.S. Attorney for Maine in 2017 and served until resigning in February.
McElwee has served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maine since 2002 and has been coordinator of Project Safe Neighborhoods since 2005. Between 2005 and 2008, she was an adjunct professor of advanced trial advocacy at the University of Maine School of Law.
McElwee, a native of Caribou, received a bachelor’s degree from Bowdoin College in 1995 and her law degree from the UMaine law school in 1998.
Her nomination was praised by all four members of Maine’s congressional delegation including Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who said she will work to advance McElwee’s nomination in the Senate.
“For nearly two decades, Darcie has provided exceptional service to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maine, helped to keep our state safe and protected victims of crimes,” Collins said. “She is an experienced law enforcement professional, and her nomination builds on the tradition of capable career prosecutors filling this important position in Maine.”
Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, and Reps. Chellie Pingree, D-District 1, and Jared Golden, D-District 2, also praised McElwee’s nomination. The three lawmakers had convened a committee of Maine legal professionals who met with several candidates before they issued a recommendation to the White House.
“After an extensive review process and close consultation with the Biden Administration, we are pleased that President Biden has decided to nominate Darcie McElwee to serve as the next U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine. An Aroostook County native, lifelong Mainer, and experienced Assistant U.S. Attorney with keen legal insights, Darcie has deep roots in our state and an impressive track record of public service,” the three said in a joint statement Tuesday evening. “We believe that her experience and dedication make her a superb candidate for this role, and will advocate for her quick confirmation in the U.S. Senate.”
McElwee has spearheaded the Department of Justice’s anti-violence initiative, and prosecuted violent crime cases including sex trafficking, interstate domestic violence, cyberstalking and child sexual exploitation, as well as firearms and arson cases.
McElwee is a member of the Maine Trial Lawyers Association and past president of the Cumberland Bar Association.
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