Perkins Coie Lawyer Bob Bauer Tapped as New White House Counsel
Updated: Reports on the likely resignation of White House counsel Greg Craig surfaced once again this morning, and this time there was a time frame and a mention of a replacement.
The reports later proved to be true; Craig announced his resignation today and said he would return to private practice, without specifying where he would be working, according to The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times. Craig formerly worked at Williams & Connolly and defended Bill Clinton during his impeachment hearings.
President Obama has tapped Washington, D.C., lawyer Bob Bauer of Perkins Coie to replace Craig.
Bauer is President Obama’s personal and campaign lawyer and general counsel for the Democratic National Committee.
Earlier stories in the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) said Craig could announce his resignation as early as today. The New York Times was more definite; Craig associates told the newspaper that today is the day of the announcement.
Craig was criticized for failing to anticipate opposition to the closing of Guantanamo Bay, and his authority had been curtailed.
Stories reporting on Craig’s likely departure also ran in August and again in October.
In the November 2008 issue of the ABA Journal, sources close to candidate Obama said Bauer was a leading candidate for the White House counsel post.
Updated at 10:05 a.m. CT to indicate that the earlier reports proved true.
