US Senate confirms former county assistant DA as Maine’s top federal prosecutor

By Rosemary Lausier, Bangor Daily News Staff

The nomination of an assistant U.S. attorney in Portland to become the top federal prosecutor in Maine was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Oct. 5.

President Joe Biden nominated Darcie McElwee for the position in August after Halsey Frank, 62, of Portland resigned in February after more than two decades working in the office.

“It is with a great deal of hometown pride that I express my strong support for the confirmation of Darcie McElwee to be the new U.S. Attorney for the State of Maine. Both Darcie and I are natives of Caribou,” U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine on the Senate floor in support of the nomination. 

McElwee, 48, of Scarborough graduated from Bowdoin College in 1995 and from the University of Maine School of Law in 1998. From 1998 until 2002, she worked as an assistant district attorney in Penobscot and Piscataquis counties.

Working as a federal prosecutor since 2002, McElwee has served as the Project Safe Neighborhoods coordinator for the office. She also has taught advanced trial advocacy at Maine Law.

The Bangor Daily News’ Judy Harrison contributed to this report.