Republican elections lawyer Bill McGinley is leaving his counsel role at the “Department of Government Efficiency,” according to a person familiar with the matter.
Then President-elect Donald Trump initially named McGinley as White House counsel before swapping McGinley’s role to DOGE, the quasi-public body led by billionaire Elon Musk.
He’s not the only high-level member to leave the cost-cutting effort. Former DOGE co-leader Vivek Ramaswamy also departed the panel earlier this week as he readies for a potential Ohio gubernatorial candidacy.
GOP lawyer Don McGahn and McGinley were among a number of Jones Day partners who landed administration roles in Trump’s first stint as president. The pair—along with lawyer Ben Ginsberg—helped build Jones Day into an influential DC player after leaving Squire Patton Boggs in 2014 to launch the firm’s elections law practice.
McGinley joined boutique Holtzman Vogel Baran Torchinsky and Josefiak in late 2019. He was cabinet secretary during Trump’s first term, serving as the White House liaison to the heads of federal departments, and was the Republican National Committee’s election watchdog in 2024.
The Wall Street Journal first reported McGinley’s exit.
Holtzman Vogel is a 45-plus lawyer firm founded in 2001 known for its election work, building a reputation serving clients in Republican circles. Cofounder Jill Holtzman Vogel led the national GOP’s legal efforts during the 2004 presidential election and served 16 years in the Virginia State Senate.
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