Pat Cipollone

Pat Cipollone. Patrick Joseph Cipollone is an American attorney who served as White House Counsel to Donald Trump during the administration's later years. He is known for his involvement in legal matters tied to the Mueller special counsel investigation, the 2020 United States presidential election, and impeachment proceedings in the United States House of Representatives. Cipollone's career spans private practice at major law firms and a prominent role in national legal and political controversies involving figures such as William Barr, Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows, and members of the United States Congress.

Early life and education

Cipollone was born in Coal Township, Pennsylvania and raised in Berwick, Pennsylvania, where he attended local schools near Columbia County, Pennsylvania and participated in community activities connected to Roman Catholic Church institutions and regional civic organizations. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from College of the Holy Cross and later graduated from Chicago-Kent College of Law with a Juris Doctor, joining alumni networks associated with Holy Cross Crusaders and the Illinois Bar Association. During his formative years he engaged with regional legal and political figures from Pennsylvania and Illinois, positioning him for clerkships and early legal roles in firms and courts such as the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

Legal career

Cipollone began his legal career clerking and practicing at prominent firms, joining litigation practice groups that appeared before tribunals including the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the Supreme Court of the United States. He worked at law firms where partners had ties to cases involving corporations, administrative agencies such as the Department of Justice (United States), and regulatory matters touching on statutes like the Federal Election Campaign Act and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Cipollone later served as general counsel and outside counsel to prominent corporations and trade associations with interactions involving the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Trade Commission, and the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. His litigation portfolio included appellate work before judges appointed by presidents including Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, and cases touching on precedents from decisions such as those by the Supreme Court of the United States in First Amendment and administrative law contexts.

Role in the Trump administration

Cipollone was appointed White House Counsel under President Donald Trump in late 2018, succeeding counsel associated with the Trump administration legal team and playing a central role in responses to inquiries from the Special Counsel Robert Mueller investigation and oversight by committees of the United States Congress. He coordinated with Department of Justice officials including William Barr and interacted with advisers such as John Dowd, Rudy Giuliani, and Ty Cobb on litigation strategy concerning executive privilege assertions and the administration's response to subpoenas from committees such as the House Judiciary Committee and the House Intelligence Committee. Cipollone was a key legal voice during the first impeachment of Donald Trump related to Ukraine and testified before congressional investigators during the second impeachment linked to events on January 6, 2021, involving institutions including the United States Capitol Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and leadership figures like Nancy Pelosi and Kevin McCarthy. His tenure saw engagement with litigation in federal courts, constitutional debates referencing clauses like the Impeachment Clause and doctrines articulated in opinions by justices such as John Roberts and Samuel Alito, and coordination with White House staff including Mark Meadows and Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

Post-White House activities

After leaving the White House, Cipollone returned to private practice and counsel roles, affiliating with law firms and clients engaged in complex litigation and corporate compliance matters that interface with agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission and litigation venues including the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. He has been involved in media appearances and legal commentary interacting with networks that cover politics like CNN, Fox News, and newspapers such as the New York Times and the Washington Post, and has provided legal representation or advice in matters involving figures from the Trump era including Donald Trump Jr. and others aligned with post-2020 litigation and investigations by entities such as state attorneys general in Georgia and New York (state). Cipollone's post-White House work includes participation in bar conferences, speaking engagements at institutions like Georgetown University Law Center and collaboration with colleagues from firms that have represented parties before the Supreme Court of the United States.

Personal life and affiliations

Cipollone is married and has family ties in Pennsylvania and the Northeastern United States, and his personal affiliations include membership in professional organizations such as the American Bar Association and local bar associations in Washington, D.C. and Illinois. He has participated in events associated with faith-based organizations including Roman Catholic Church communities and alumni activities at College of the Holy Cross, and has connections with legal scholars and practitioners from institutions like Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, and Stanford Law School through conferences and litigation networks. Cipollone's professional network includes attorneys who have served in administrations of presidents such as George W. Bush and Donald Trump, and colleagues who clerked for justices of the Supreme Court of the United States and judges on the United States Court of Appeals.

Category:Living people Category:1966 births Category:White House Counsels