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Don McGahn

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Don McGahn
White House Counsel
Designate
Assuming office
January 20, 2017
PresidentDonald Trump (elect)
SucceedingNeil Eggleston
Member of the Federal Election Commission
In office
July 2008 – September 2013
PresidentGeorge W. Bush
Preceded byDavid M. Mason
Succeeded byLee E. Goodman
Personal details
Born1968 or 1969 (age 55–56)
Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseShannon McGahn
Alma materUnited States Naval Academy
University of Notre Dame (BA)
Widener University School of Law (JD)
Georgetown University

Donald F. "Don" McGahn II (born 1968/69) is an American campaign finance lawyer and former member of the United States Federal Election Commission. He was chief counsel for the National Republican Congressional Committee from 1999 to 2008. He was nominated to the Federal Election Commission in 2008 by George W. Bush and served in that role until 2013. McGahn was named White House Counsel for President-elect Donald Trump in November 2016.

Early life and education

McGahn grew up in Atlantic City, New Jersey. He attended the United States Naval Academy before receiving a BA in history and computer applications from the University of Notre Dame in 1991. He obtained his JD from Widener University School of Law in 1994 and had completed coursework toward an LLM at Georgetown University Law Center as of 2009.[1]

Career

Following his graduation from law school, McGahn worked in campaign finance law at the Washington, D.C.-based law firm Patton Boggs.[2]

National Republican Congressional Committee

From 1999 to 2008, McGahn was chief counsel for the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC).[3] During the early 2000s, he defended House Majority Leader Tom DeLay for his actions during the controversial 2003 Texas redistricting plan. McGahn also represented DeLay in 2005 during a Federal Election Commission audit of the records of Americans for a Republican Majority, DeLay's political action committee.[4]

In 2005, when DeLay was indicted for funneling campaign contributions into the Texans for a Republican Majority PAC (TRMPAC), McGahn said that "money gets transferred all the time"[5]. McGahn also defended DeLay regarding contributions made by Russian oil tycoons to the U.S. Family Network [6]. During McGahn's tenure as in-house counsel for the NRCC, it was investigated by the FBI and its treasurer was convicted of embezzlement[7].

Following the 2004 elections, McGahn established a legal practice, McGahn & Associates PLLC. He has represented the Koch brothers-funded Freedom Partners.[8]

Federal Election Commission

McGahn was considered for the Federal Election Commission in 2005, but was passed over due to difficulty replacing him at the NRCC and worries about his former work as ethics lawyer for Congressman DeLay.[9]

George W. Bush nominated McGahn as a Republican-selected member of the Federal Election Commission in 2008. He was confirmed on June 24, 2008 by the United States Senate and was sworn in shortly thereafter. He is credited as having played a crucial role in loosening regulations on campaign spending.[10][11] In 2013, McGahn advocated for rules that would require FEC approval for its staffers to share information with federal prosecutors.[12] Critics of the proposed rule said it would interfere with the FEC and Justice Department prosecutions of election violations. McGahn resigned from the FEC in September 2013.[13]

After leaving the FEC, McGahn returned to the law firm Patton Boggs.[3] He later joined the law firm of Jones Day in Washington, D.C. in 2014. He secured former Representative Aaron Schock as a client, representing him while he was being investigated for misuse of federal funds. According to reports from the FEC, as of April 2016, Schock still owed the law firm $750,000.[10]

Trump administration

McGahn served as Donald Trump's campaign counsel during his 2016 bid for president.[3] In November 2015, he averted an attempt to remove Trump from the New Hampshire Republican Party primary ballot.[14]

On November 25, 2016, McGahn was named White House Counsel for President-elect Donald Trump.[15]

Personal life

McGahn is married to Shannon McGahn, staff director of the House Banking Committee. They have two sons.[3] McGahn owns 30 guitars and plays a Gibson Les Paul bass in Scott's New Band, an '80s cover band that performs in Ocean City, Maryland.[10][2]

References

  1. ^ "Our Campaigns - Candidate - Donald F. "Don" McGahn II". Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  2. ^ a b Mullins, Brody; Jacoby, Mary (October 29, 2008). "FEC Chairman McGahn Marches to His Own Tune". Wall Street Journal.
  3. ^ a b c d Levine, Carrie (May 9, 2016). "Two very different Donalds, one White House goal". Center for Public Integrity.
  4. ^ Shenon, Philip (May 19, 2005). "U.S. Audit Is Said to Clear Committee Run by DeLay". The New York Times.
  5. ^ "DeLay, successor Blunt swapped donations".
  6. ^ "Truth, half-truth and lie in anti-DeLay ad campaign".
  7. ^ "NRCC treasurer Christopher Ward sentenced to 37 months for stealing $844,000".
  8. ^ Vogel, Kenneth P.; Martel, Cate (July 29, 2015). "The Kochs freeze out Trump". Politico.
  9. ^ Cillizza, Chris (November 28, 2005). "The Fix - McGahn Staying Put at NRCC". Washington Post.
  10. ^ a b c Terris, Ben (April 11, 2016). "Trump's own Beltway establishment guy: The curious journey of Don McGahn". The Washington Post.
  11. ^ Roth, Zachary (March 23, 2016). "Trump's top lawyer helped open political spending floodgates". MSNBC.
  12. ^ Gold, Matea (July 13, 2013). "FEC engulfed in power struggle over staff independence". The Washington Post.
  13. ^ Wilson, Reid (September 17, 2013). "Former FEC chairman Donald McGahn resigns from panel". The Washington Post.
  14. ^ Haddon, Heather (November 24, 2015). "Effort to Knock Donald Trump Off N.H. Ballot Fails". Wall Street Journal.
  15. ^ "Trump names Don McGahn as White House Counsel - transition official". 25 November 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2016 – via Reuters.
Legal offices
Preceded by White House Counsel
Designate
Taking office 2017 		Incumbent
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