Barrasso, Lummis Back Smith as Darin Smith Grand Jury Misconduct Vote Nears
The Senate confirmation vote on Darin Smith, President Donald Trump’s nominee for U.S. attorney for Wyoming, is set for next week as darin smith grand jury misconduct criticism continues to trail the nomination. Wyoming’s two Republican senators plan to vote for him, giving Smith a clear show of support before the chamber decides whether he will serve as the state’s chief federal law enforcement officer for the next four years.
The Senate advanced his nomination on Monday in a 46-45 procedural vote that included 48 other presidential nominees. Smith responded to a Tuesday text message request for comment by saying, “I am totally qualified to be the US Attorney for the District of Wyoming.”
Barrasso and Lummis Back Smith
Joe Jackson, Cynthia Lummis’ senior communications advisor, said in a Monday email to Cowboy State Daily, “Sen. (Cynthia) Lummis has been fully supportive of Darin Smith’s nomination and looks forward to voting to confirm him as Wyoming’s U.S Attorney.” Laura Mengelkamp, John Barrasso’s communications director, said in a Monday statement, “Senator Barrasso supports Darin Smith’s nomination for U.S. Attorney for Wyoming. He is well-qualified to serve as Wyoming’s chief federal law enforcement officer.”
Those statements place both Wyoming senators on the same side of the vote. The nomination now moves into the final Senate step after clearing the 46-45 procedural hurdle.
Durbin’s Floor Criticism
Dick Durbin criticized Smith on Monday on the Senate floor, saying Smith was present at the U.S. Capitol grounds during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach. Durbin said Smith contended that rioters were entrapped and that the U.S. Capitol police were guilty of massive incompetence. He also called Smith’s comments “an embarrassing statement” and “a slap in the face.”
Durbin’s criticism is part of the public case against the nominee, but it has not altered the stance of Wyoming’s two senators. Their support gives Smith a path to the confirmation vote next week even as his past remarks remain central to the debate around the post.
March Grand Jury Claims
The sharper challenge comes from defense attorneys in at least eight federal cases, who contend Smith polluted grand jury proceedings in March. They say he called defendants murderers while talking to grand jurors. The U.S. Attorney’s Office of Wyoming said Smith’s comments were ill-advised, but it said they did not rise to the level claimed by defense attorneys and did not prejudice the cases involved.
That dispute sits at the center of the nomination fight because the office Smith seeks would put him in charge of federal prosecutions in Wyoming. If the Senate vote next week goes as expected, the question will shift from whether he can clear the chamber to how his earlier comments and conduct will be viewed once he takes the post.
