The James F. Battin federal courthouse in Billings, Montana (Photo by Darrell Ehrlick of the Daily Montanan).
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana announced Monday the appointment of Kurt Alme as interim U.S. Attorney for Montana.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Alme was sworn in by Chief U.S. District Judge Brian Morris on March 17, and will serve on an interim basis for 120 days or until a Presidential nominee has been confirmed by the Senate.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi appointed Alme to the post, where he replaces Jesse Laslovich, who served in the role from 2022 until his departure earlier this year.
“I am grateful to Attorney General Bondi for the opportunity to serve again as United States Attorney for Montana,” Alme said in a press statement. “The U. S. Attorney’s Office has an outstanding group of people who are giving their careers to make Montana safer and fairly represent the United States in legal matters. I look forward to again working with them and all of our dedicated federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement and prosecuting partners to continue the important work of combatting violent crime, the trafficking of methamphetamine and fentanyl, and illegal immigration.”
Alme served as chief federal law enforcement official in Montana during President Donald Trump’s first term, from 2017 until 2020, after being recommended by Montana U.S. Sen. Steve Daines.
“Congratulations to Kurt Alme for being appointed by Attorney General Bondi as Interim U.S. Attorney for Montana. Kurt is a fantastic choice, having served exceptionally well as Montana’s U.S. Attorney in the first Trump administration. We have no doubt Kurt will do an outstanding job enforcing our immigration laws, cracking down on drug trafficking and abuse as well as seeking justice for missing and murdered indigenous persons,” Daines and U.S. Sen. Tim Sheehy said in a joint statement.
After his stint as Montanan’s U.S. Attorney, Alme worked for Gov. Greg Gianforte as state budget director at the start of the Republican’s first gubernatorial term. He left the position less than a year later, citing the strain of commuting to Helena from his home in Billings.
Most recently, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Alme served as Executive Vice President for Planned Giving with the National Christian Foundation.
Alme grew up in Montana and graduated from high school in Miles City. He clerked for Montana U.S. District Judge Charles Lovell and served as Director of the Montana Department of Revenue under former Republican Gov. Judy Martz. From 2003 to 2010, Alme worked as an assistant U.S. Attorney focusing on financial investigations involving white collar fraud, government program fraud, bankruptcy fraud, money laundering, and tax evasion.
He later worked as President and General Counsel of the Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch Foundation until his appointment to the U.S. Attorney position in 2017.