Pat Cipollone will replace McGahn.
Pat Cipollone will replace Donald McGahn as White House counsel.[/tweetit] He is President Donald Trump's personal pick to the post. Other than being a full-time lawyer, he is a devout Catholic who serves on the Catholic Information Center's directorial board. In 2004, he co-founded National Catholic Prayer Breakfast. Sections of the U.S. media have had reported that Cipollone is already engaged in informally advising Trump's personal lawyers on the special counsel probe launched by Robert Muller into alleged interference by Russia in the recent presidential election.
Trump to Name Catholic Lawyer to Replace Donald McGahn[/tweetthis]
Cipollone presently works as a litigation partner in Washington. He is a part of Stein Mitchell Cipollone Beato & Missner LLP, a law firm. His specialization list includes healthcare fraud, commercial litigation, trade regulation, and anti-trust. The lawyer is not new to the White House environs. He served as counsel to William P. Barr, the Attorney-General at the time of the George H.W. Bush administration. He worked at Kirkland and Ellis, a well-known law firm operating out of Washington prior to joining his present place of work.
Cipollone was a long-time contender to be a counsel to the White House. Rumors began to float around August, with an online newspaper announcing on October 13 that the president has already chosen him to be the next council. When asked, the spokesperson for the White House did not confirm his appointment. His appointment became a surety when President Trump on October 13 praised the soon-to-be-legal counsel in the White House. The president described him as a great guy and extremely talented. Trump also told the media he considers Cipollone to be a good man but declined to confirm anything more at that time.
Cipollone could join his new post as soon as his security clearance comes in. In his new job, the Catholic lawyer will advise the U.S. President, the President's Executive Office and White House personnel on legal issues which involve the executive branch.
The newly anointed White House counsel graduated from Fordham University and earned his J.D in 1991 from University of Chicago School of Law. He has previously served on the directorial board of Catholic University of America's Columbus School of Law. He served as counselor to Dean of the university's law school. His predecessor to the White House post, Donald McGahn, had announced his departure back in August, stating he would leave following Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation.