John T. Chisholm

John Theodore Chisholm (born March 14, 1963) is an American prosecutor and politician who has served as Milwaukee County District Attorney since 2007.

He graduated from Marquette University High School in 1981 and attended St. John's University before graduating from Marquette University in 1986.

Chisholm was commissioned in the United States Army in 1986 and was honorably discharged as a first lieutenant in 1990.

In 1994, Chisholm graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School and joined the office of Milwaukee County District Attorney E. Michael McCann as a misdemeanor prosecutor.

From 1994 until 1999, Chisholm prosecuted misdemeanors, domestic violence offenses, and complex narcotics cases in the Milwaukee County Circuit Court.

In 1999, McCann appointed Chisholm as supervising attorney of the Firearms Enforcement Unit, which prosecuted high-profile cases involving organized crime, large-scale drug trafficking, and non-fatal shootings.

In this position, Chisholm prosecuted millionaire marijuana dealer Kenneth L. Green and members of Jamaican and Latin Kings organized crime outfits.

As supervising attorney, Chisholm was highly regarded by law enforcement officials for his skill and successful track record in prosecuting gun crime.

In 2005, then-District Attorney McCann announced that he would not seek reelection in the following year's Democratic primary.

Chisholm, then serving as supervising attorney of the Firearms Enforcement Unit, declared his candidacy for the position.

Chisholm won 65% of the vote in the September Democratic primary, defeating former Milwaukee Alderwoman Larraine McNamara-McGraw.

Chisholm defeated independent candidate Lew Wasserman in the November general election, winning over 82% of the vote.

A career prosecutor, Chisholm specialized in complex conspiracy prosecutions before his election as district attorney in 2006.

As district attorney, Chisholm garnered notoriety for two inquiries he led into staff misconduct and potential campaign finance violations surrounding Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker.

Chisholm has been scrutinized for his enactment of progressive justice reform policies in Milwaukee County in light of the Waukesha Christmas parade attack.

Chisholm was born in Milwaukee and raised in suburban Waukesha County.

Chisholm was unopposed in his 2008 and 2012 reelection bids.

Chisholm's office has prosecuted other officials, including Milwaukee County supervisor Toni Clark and fellow supervisor Johnny Thomas, a candidate for Milwaukee City Comptroller who was prosecuted in 2012 for bribery but acquitted at trial.

In October 2012, Chisholm charged four Milwaukee police officers with crimes ranging from sexual assault to misconduct in public office for their involvement in the unlawful rectal probing of detained suspects.

Michael Vagnini, the officer most implicated in the illegal searches, was sentenced to 26 months in state prison.

Chisholm investigated and prosecuted violent felons, including preacher and organized crime figure Michael Lock and serial killer Walter E. Ellis, known as the "North Side Strangler" who targeted prostitutes in Milwaukee for two decades.

Chisholm is a director and past chair of the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, a national organization of American prosecutors.

In an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel before his election, Chisholm said: “Is there going to be an individual I divert, or I put into treatment program, who’s going to go out and kill somebody?

You bet.

Guaranteed.

It’s guaranteed to happen.

It does not invalidate the overall approach.”

On November 22, 2021, an investigation was launched into the Milwaukee DA's office’s handling of the bail setting for Darrell Brooks.

Brooks was found guilty of plowing his SUV into the Waukesha Christmas parade and was subsequently charged with the intentional homicides of 5 adults and 1 child and the injuries of 68 others.

Brooks had an extremely lengthy criminal history.

He was alleged to have punched a woman in the face and hit her with his car when he was released on $1,000 bail two days before the Christmas parade.

The bail was described by the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office as "inappropriately low in light of the nature of the recent charges."

In 2013, he was mentioned as a potential Democratic candidate for Attorney General of Wisconsin, but he ultimately did not seek the office.

In 2016, Chisholm was opposed in the Democratic primary by Verona Swanigan, an attorney who conducted a general legal practice in Milwaukee.

Swanigan's campaign was funded by Republican activists who opposed Chisholm's role in the John Doe probes of Governor Scott Walker's campaign.

Chisholm defeated Swanigan in the August 9 primary, winning over 65% of the vote, and faced no opposition in the November general election.

In 2017, it was speculated that Chisholm would challenge either Gov. Scott Walker in the 2018 gubernatorial election or Attorney General Brad Schimel for his seat.

Chisholm declined to run for either position, instead endorsing Milwaukee attorney Matt Flynn for governor and ex-federal prosecutor Josh Kaul for attorney general.

As district attorney, Chisholm established a public integrity unit, resulting in the prosecution of Milwaukee alderman Michael McGee, Jr., who was later convicted of federal crimes including bribery and extortion.

McGee was also convicted of two state crimes, to which he pleaded nolo contendere.