White House Counsel

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Image of the "Democracy Then and Now" Podcast episode

The Just Security Podcast: The Department of Justice Then and Now (NYU Law Forum)

Former White House and DOJ officials assess how he division between the President and the Justice Department has changed.
White House Counsel Don McGahn stands behind Trump during a cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room at the White House October 17, 2018 in Washington, DC.

Unpacking Biden Administration vs. Congressional Tension in the McGahn Case

Awkward transitions to “unified government” and what it portends.
Man in black shirt with black glove pushing on scale of justice in dark room.

Law Day and the Need for Virtue in Government Lawyering

"This Law Day demands that we also pay attention to a very different set of actions by lawyers within the Trump period."
White House Counsel Don McGahn stands behind Trump during a cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room at the White House October 17, 2018 in Washington, DC.

Congress Needs a “Rocket Docket” for Its Disputes With the President

A rocket docket could have prevented many of the abuses seen during the Trump administration, would reduce the likelihood of future abuses, and will enhance Congress’ ability…
Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, White House Counsel Pat Cipollone, and Principal Deputy Press Secretary Hogan Gidley listen during a Rose Garden event at the White House May 7, 2019 in Washington, DC.

Two Major Distortions in the White House’s Scorched Earth Letter to Congress

White House Counsel Cipollone's letter to Congress is a profoundly troubling document with a political purpose: stonewalling Congress while trying to muddy the waters with pretextual…
Side-by-side photos of Trump and Donaldson

Annie Donaldson is Not the President’s “Alter Ego”

It could almost be a bar exam question. Under the Executive Branch theory that the president’s senior aides are “absolutely immune” from appearing before Congress, which…
A name plate for former White House Counsel Don McGahn sits on the witness table prior to a House Judiciary Committee hearing in which McGahn was subpoenaed to testify May 21, 2019 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.

The Three-Level Game in the White House Effort to Block McGahn’s Testimony

"It is a wonder that the attorney general is gambling on this case, to be brought on this record, to vindicate his constitutional theory."
Chairman Jerry Nadler speaks as US Attorney General Bill Barr fails to attend a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on May 2, 2019.

McGahn’s Chief of Staff, Annie Donaldson May Be Congress’ Prized Witness

Don McGahn's chief of staff had a front seat at the Trump White House during the Russia investigation, and has reasons to comply with Congress' subpoena.
Side-by-side photos of Mueller and Trump.

Why Robert Mueller Is Right that the Obstruction Statutes Apply to the President

Special Counsel Robert Mueller has a better argument than Attorney General William Barr about whether obstruction statutes apply to the president. They do, and here's why.

The Trials of White House Counsel Don McGahn

Over the weekend, Michael Schmidt and Maggie Haberman published a remarkable story in the New York Times chronicling White House Counsel Donald F. McGahn’s substantial cooperation…
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