Pete Serrano’s time as a federal prosecutor in Eastern Washington ended Tuesday.

His tenure with the U.S. Department of Justice may not be over.

Tuesday marked Serrano’s final day as interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington. He was appointed on Aug. 6 and sworn in five days later. He could serve up to 120 days while awaiting confirmation.

But President Donald Trump never nominated Serrano, a Republican and 2024 candidate for state attorney general. Even had Trump done so, Serrano knew success was a long shot.

That’s because Patty Murray, Washington’s senior Democratic senator, opposed his selection and declared in August that she would use a Senate maneuver known as the “blue slip” process to prevent the Pasco lawyer from getting confirmed to the federal post.

Yet

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