Meet the fiery lawyer at the center of virtually every Trump controversy. https://wpo.st/1gnb2 @sarihorwitz @mattzap
Who is Donald McGahn, the lawyer at the center of Trump controversies?
by Matt Zapotosky and Sari Horwitz 15 Feb 2017 page A5
Less than a month into his presidency, Donald Trump has faced no shortage of controversies. Donald McGahn - the fiery lawyer who has represented the president since before his election - has been at the center of virtually every one.
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McGahn, 48, is a veteran campaign finance lawyer and former commissioner on the Federal Election Commission. Before taking over the role of White House counsel, he worked at the Jones Day law firm and as general counsel to the Trump campaign. He is a consummate Washington insider, but like the man for whom he works, he has an independent streak, those who know him say. ... He plays the guitar and once sported shoulder-length hair. ... "Don is not a buttoned-down guy," said Bradley A. Smith, a law professor at Capital University and longtime professional friend of McGahn.
On the Federal Election Commission, where he served from 2008 to 2013, McGahn repeatedly clashed with Democratic commissioners as he worked to loosen regulations on campaign spending and place limits on the commission's ability to launch investigations of violations of campaign finance law. Democratic Commissioner Ellen L. Weintraub said McGahn "came into this agency with the agenda of blowing it up from the inside" and resisted pursuing virtually all complaints of election-related wrongdoing. ... "One thing that does trouble me a little bit in the role that he's in now is he was never someone who was open to new ideas or people challenging his views," Weintraub said.
McGahn in 2011 helped protect Trump from a possible investigation. Then mulling a run for president, Trump was accused of violating Federal Election Commission regulations by channeling money through the Trump Organization to the website ShouldTrumpRun.com. Commission staff members recommended that Trump be investigated, but the case was dismissed after McGahn and two other Republican commissioners voted against the recommendation. Trump ultimately did not run for president in 2012.
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matt.zapotosky@washpost.com
sari.horwitz@washpost.com
I've used up all my visits to the
Washington Post. The article appeared on page A% of the print edition on Wednesday, February 15, 2017.
Matt Zapotosky:
@mattzap
@washingtonpost reporter. Ohio University grad. Cat stepdad. Detroit Lions & Washington Nats fan. zapotoskym@washpost.com
Sari Horwitz:
@SariHorwitz
Sari Horwitz covers the Justice Department for The Washington Post. Co-author of Finding Chandra and Sniper. Bio and stories: http://wapo.st/sarihorwitz
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