Trump taps his most trusted lawyers for key government roles

As a private citizen, Donald Trump surrounded himself with lawyers who defended him in myriad lawsuits and business disputes, sometimes — though not always — with remarkable success.

As president, Trump has filled key positions at the Justice Department and the White House with many of those same lawyers, ensuring he has a loyal team in place to execute his policy agenda.

While it’s not uncommon for presidents to appoint close allies and campaign lawyers, hiring a fleet of former personal attorneys is specific to Trump. Political opponents say the moves have also blurred the lines between his private legal operation and public service, displaying a tendency to treat the presidency as an extension of his personal enterprise.

Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche are the highest-profile examples, but there are more sprinkled across his administration, in U.S. attorneys’ offices and the White House.

The appointments come with Trump’s push to undo the traditional arms-length relationship between the White House and law enforcement, reshaping the DOJ around his priorities. These include cracking down on immigration, relaxing enforcement of white-collar crimes and taking legal action against some of his biggest perceived political enemies.

Critics say the practice is especially troubling at the Justice Department, calling into question the independence of the nation’s most powerful federal law enforcement agency. Others say the president has the right to hire people who will carry out his policies.

White House Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson said the president has selected “exceptionally qualified and talented individuals” to serve at all levels of government and they serve with “honor and distinction.” A DOJ spokeswoman said the agency wouldn’t be able to respond to requests for comment until the government shutdown was resolved.

Here is an overview of the key lawyers Trump has brought into his administration.

Justice Department

—Pam Bondi, Attorney General

The Trump Connection: Bondi was a member of Trump’s legal defense team during his first impeachment, when the president was ultimately acquitted by the Senate of allegations that he withheld military aid from Ukraine in exchange for foreign interference in the 2020 presidential election. Bondi previously earned national attention for her efforts to overturn the Affordable Care Act as Florida attorney general.

Education: Stetson University College of Law

Start Date: Feb. 5

—Todd Blanche, Deputy Attorney General

The Trump Connection: Blanche serves as the No. 2 in the Justice Department as deputy attorney general. He represented Trump in the New York state hush-money case, where the president was convicted of falsifying business records to conceal payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels. Blanche previously served as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York.

Education: Brooklyn Law School

Start Date: March 6

—Stanley Woodward, Associate Attorney General

The Trump Connection: Woodward was named associate attorney general, the No. 3 position in the Justice Department, following his tenure during Trump’s second administration as senior counselor and assistant to the president. Previously, he advised Trump on vice presidential candidates and other cabinet-level personnel ahead of the 2024 election. Although he didn’t represent Trump directly, he was a member of a joint defense team representing Trump aides and associates, including co-defendant Waltine Nauta in the president’s classified documents indictment, which has been thrown out.

Education: Columbus School of Law at Catholic University of America

Confirmation Date: Oct. 7

—Alina Habba, Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey

The Trump Connection: Habba serves as the acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey. She has remained active while appealing a ruling from a federal judge who banned her from handling cases after her interim appointment expired. Habba previously served as counselor to the president in the White House. She started as a lawyer for Trump in 2021. Habba also represented the Trump Organization in its New York business fraud trial and defended the president in the E. Jean Carroll defamation case in which he was ordered to pay $83.3 million.

Education: Widener University Commonwealth Law School

Start Date: March 28

—Lindsey Halligan, Interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia

The Trump Connection: Halligan was recently appointed interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia from her previous role as White House senior associate staff secretary and special assistant to the president. Shortly after taking the post, Halligan secured indictments against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, accelerating Trump’s push for legal action against his perceived political enemies. Halligan joined Trump’s personal legal team in 2022 and was at Mar-a-Lago when FBI agents searched the premises as part of its probe into the president’s handling of classified documents. Halligan was also involved in Trump’s defamation lawsuit against CNN, which was dismissed in 2023.

Education: University of Miami School of Law

Start Date: Sept. 22

—John Sauer, Solicitor General

The Trump Connection: Sauer serves as U.S. solicitor general in the Justice Department. He represented Trump in criminal and civil legal cases before the president’s second term, arguing before the Supreme Court in Trump’s presidential immunity case. Sauer also argued that a New York appeals court should overturn the more than $450 million penalty in the civil fraud case that New York Attorney General Letitia James brought against Trump and his business entities.

Education: Harvard Law School

Start Date: April 4

—Harmeet Dhillon, US Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division

The Trump Connection: Dhillon serves as the U.S. assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division, where she is reshaping the priorities of the division to align with Trump’s agenda. Dhillon and her law firm, Dhillon Law Group, represented Trump ahead of the 2024 election, defending him in legal battles over ballot eligibility in Colorado and Maine. She also served as a legal adviser during Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign.

Education: University of Virginia School of Law

Start Date: April 7

White House

—David Warrington, White House Counsel

The Trump Connection: Warrington has served as White House counsel since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term. Warrington represented the president during the House Select Committee’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. He also served as the general counsel of Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.

Education: Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University

Start Date: Jan. 20

—Will Scharf, White House Staff Secretary

The Trump Connection: Scharf was appointed White House staff secretary after he unsuccessfully ran for Missouri attorney general in 2024. Scharf joined Trump’s personal legal team in 2023, working with John Sauer on the Supreme Court presidential immunity case and the federal election interference case. He also frequently appeared on television to advocate on Trump’s behalf during the president’s criminal hush money trial.

Education: Harvard Law School

Start Date: Jan. 20

Judges

—Emil Bove, Judge on U.S. Court of Appeals for Third Circuit

The Trump Connection: Bove served in the second Trump administration as acting deputy attorney general from January to March and as principal associate deputy attorney general until his confirmation as a judge in September. During his time at the Justice Department he oversaw the push to dismiss a criminal corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Previously in private practice, Bove became a partner at Todd Blanche’s legal firm in September 2023 and joined Trump’s defense team shortly thereafter. He helped represent the president in his New York state criminal trial and later assisted with Trump’s two other federal criminal cases.

Education: Georgetown University Law Center

Start Date: Jan. 20 (As acting deputy attorney general, principal associate attorney general.}

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(With assistance from Zoe Tillman and David Voreacos.)

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