Trump Turns to GOP Lawyer McGinley for White House Counsel Job

President-elect Donald Trump has tapped Republican elections lawyer Bill McGinley to serve as White House counsel, moving a familiar face into a key legal role.

McGinley, a partner at Holtzman Vogel, served as cabinet secretary during Trump’s first term. He also advised the Republican National Committee as outside counsel for election integrity, Trump said in a Tuesday announcement.

“Bill is a smart and tenacious lawyer who will help advance our America First agenda while fighting for election integrity and against the weaponization of law enforcement,” Trump said.

GOP lawyer Don McGahn spearheaded Trump’s judicial nomination strategy as White House counsel in the former president’s first administration, including the vetting of Supreme Court picks.

Bill McGinley

Photo: Tom Williams/Roll Call/Getty Images

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 did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“Bill is tough, smart, and fair,” attorney Mike Davis, a Trump ally said to be in the mix for an administration job, said in a post on social media platform X. “And he already knows his way around the White House and the Executive Branch.”

McGinley joined Holtzman in late 2019. Jones Day later distanced itself from Trump, opting against advising his campaign ahead of the November election, but has been edging back into the president’s orbit through its work for the RNC.

Jill Holtzman Vogel founded the more than 45-lawyer firm in 2001 and the operation has built a reputation serving clients in Republican circles. She led the national GOP’s legal efforts during the 2004 presidential election and served 16 years in the Virginia state Senate.