Biden Names New White House Counsel
US Pres. Joe Biden on Tuesday chose Ed Siskel, a former Obama admin. attorney who helped craft the response to the congressional investigations into the 2012 Benghazi attack that killed four Americans, to be his next White House counsel.
Facts
- US Pres. Joe Biden on Tuesday chose Ed Siskel, a former Obama admin. attorney who helped craft the response to the congressional investigations into the 2012 Benghazi attack that killed four Americans, to be his next White House counsel.1
- Siskel also helped the Obama admin. handle lower-stakes House Republican investigations, such as federal loans to politically connected solar panel maker Solyndra, which went bankrupt in 2011. Since then, he has worked as an attorney for the city of Chicago and chief legal officer for a private equity firm.2
- While serving under former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Siskel — who is replacing Stuart Delery — was known for targeting corporate criminals and defending immigrants. Most recently, he represented Grosvenor Holdings LLC, owned by major Democratic donor Michael Sacks.3
- In a statement, Biden praised Siskel's "many years of experience in public service and a career defending the rule of law" and touted Siskel's time in the Obama admin. and ability to deal with "complex challenges."4
- Siskel will now oversee Biden's response to two special counsel investigations — his alleged mishandling of classified documents and his son Hunter's business dealings — while managing requests for certain documents, such as Biden's personal bank records, from congressional Republicans.2
- Biden's personal attorney will remain Bob Bauer, who is representing the president on the same issues but in his personal capacity.1
Sources: 1ABC News, 2New York Post, 3POLITICO, and 4The White House.
Narratives
- Republican narrative, as provided by New York Post. As more and more evidence piles up against the Biden family, the president is going to need all the corruption-loving legal defenders he can find. Now that Congress — and even the Democrat-friendly Justice Dept. — are both pursuing criminal and political charges against the Biden family, the dishonest media can only try to spin these scandals in a positive way.
- Democratic narrative, as provided by USA Today. House Republicans — without a shred of evidence — are hypocritically targeting Biden: After complaining about Nancy Pelosi's cautious inquiry into former Pres. Donald Trump ahead of the 2020 election, they have now decided to float the idea of impeaching Biden just 13 months before the 2024 election. Siskel is well-suited to take on these unfair allegations.
