Watergate Hearings Day 13: John Dean (1973-06-26)

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John Wesley Dean III (born October 14, 1938) is an American attorney who served as White House Counsel for U.S. President Richard Nixon from July 1970 until April 1973. Dean is known for his role in the cover-up of the Watergate scandal and his subsequent testimony to Congress as a witness. His guilty plea to a single felony in exchange for becoming a key witness for the prosecution ultimately resulted in a reduced sentence, which he served at Fort Holabird outside Baltimore, Maryland. After his plea, he was disbarred.

The White House counsel is a senior staff appointee of the president of the United States whose role is to advise the president on all legal issues concerning the president and their administration. The White House counsel also oversees the Office of White House Counsel, a team of lawyers and support staff who provide legal guidance for the president and the White House Office. At least when White House counsel is advising the president on legal matters pertaining to the duties or prerogatives of the president, this office is also called Counsel to the President.[1]

Stuart Delery has been the White House counsel since July 2022, replacing Dana Remus, who served since January 2021.
Responsibilities

The Office of Counsel to the President and Vice President was created in 1943, and is responsible for advising on all legal aspects of policy questions; legal issues arising in connection with the president's decision to sign or veto legislation, ethical questions, financial disclosures; and conflicts of interest during employment and post employment. The counsel's office also helps define the line between official and political activities, oversees executive appointments and judicial selection, handles presidential pardons, reviews legislation and presidential statements, and handles lawsuits against the president in his role as president, as well as serving as the White House contact for the Department of Justice.
Limitations

Although the White House counsel offers legal advice to the president and vice president, the counsel does so in the president's and vice president's official capacity, and does not serve as the president's personal attorney. Therefore, controversy has emerged over the scope of the attorney–client privilege between the counsel and the president and vice president, namely with John Dean of Watergate notoriety. It is clear, however, that the privilege does not apply in strictly personal matters. It also does not apply to legislative proceedings by the U.S. Congress against the president due to allegations of misconduct while in office, such as formal censures or impeachment proceedings. In those situations the president relies on a personal attorney if he desires confidential legal advice. The office is also distinct from the judiciary, and from others who are not appointed to positions but nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. These would be foremost the attorney general of the United States, and the principal deputy and other assistants, who are nominated by the president to oversee the United States Department of Justice, or the solicitor general of the United States and staff (the solicitor general is the fourth-ranking official in the Justice Department), who argue cases before the U.S. Supreme Court (and in lower federal courts) for the Justice Department when it is a party to the case.
List of White House counsels
Image Name Start End President
Samuel Rosenman October 2, 1943 February 1, 1946 Franklin D. Roosevelt
Harry S. Truman
Clark Clifford February 1, 1946 January 31, 1950
Charles Murphy January 31, 1950 January 20, 1953
Tom Stephens January 20, 1953
On leave April 14, 1953 Dwight D. Eisenhower
Bernard Shanley January 20, 1953
Acting: January 20, 1953 – April 14, 1953 February 19, 1955
Gerald Morgan February 19, 1955 November 5, 1958
David Kendall November 5, 1958 January 20, 1961
Ted Sorensen January 20, 1961 February 29, 1964 John F. Kennedy
Lyndon B. Johnson
Mike Feldman April 1964 January 17, 1965
Lee White January 17, 1965 February 11, 1966
Milton Semer February 14, 1966 December 31, 1966
Harry McPherson February 11, 1966 October 26, 1967
Larry Temple October 26, 1967 January 20, 1969
John Ehrlichman January 20, 1969 November 4, 1969 Richard Nixon
Chuck Colson November 6, 1969 July 9, 1970
John Dean July 9, 1970 April 30, 1973
Len Garment April 30, 1973 August 9, 1974
Philip Buchen August 9, 1974 January 20, 1977 Gerald Ford
Robert Lipshutz January 20, 1977 October 1, 1979 Jimmy Carter
Lloyd Cutler October 1, 1979 January 20, 1981
Fred Fielding January 20, 1981 May 23, 1986 Ronald Reagan
Peter Wallison May 23, 1986 March 20, 1987
Arthur Culvahouse March 20, 1987 January 20, 1989
Boyden Gray January 20, 1989 January 20, 1993 George H. W. Bush
Bernard Nussbaum January 20, 1993 March 8, 1994 Bill Clinton
Lloyd Cutler March 8, 1994 October 1, 1994
Abner Mikva October 1, 1994 November 1, 1995
Jack Quinn November 1, 1995 February 1997
Chuck Ruff February 1997 August 6, 1999
Cheryl Mills
Acting August 6, 1999 September 1999
Beth Nolan September 1999 January 20, 2001
Alberto Gonzales January 20, 2001 February 3, 2005 George W. Bush
Harriet Miers February 3, 2005 January 31, 2007
Fred Fielding January 31, 2007 January 20, 2009
Greg Craig January 20, 2009 January 3, 2010 Barack Obama
Bob Bauer January 3, 2010 June 30, 2011
Kathy Ruemmler June 30, 2011 June 2, 2014
Neil Eggleston June 2, 2014 January 20, 2017
Don McGahn January 20, 2017 October 17, 2018 Donald Trump
Emmet Flood
Acting October 18, 2018 December 10, 2018
Pat Cipollone December 10, 2018 January 20, 2021
Dana Remus January 20, 2021 July 1, 2022 Joe Biden
Stuart Delery July 1, 2022 September 11, 2023
Ed Siskel September 11, 2023 present
References

Letter from Dana A. Remus, Counsel to the President, to Daniel Ferreiro, Archivist of the United States, dated October 8, 2021, issued by The White House as a Release on October 12, 2021. See also, letter of Darell Issa, then Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to W. Neil Eggleston, then "Counsel to the President," dated July 11, 2014, which letter appears as the 2nd item in the Appendix to the record of the July 16, 2014 session of a Hearing of said House Committee.

External links

Executive Office of the President
Records of Thomas E. Stephens, White House Counsel, 1953, Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library
Diaries of Bernard M. Shanley, White House Counsel, 1953-1955, Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library
Records of Gerald Morgan, White House Counsel, 1955-1958, Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library Archived 2018-09-24 at the Wayback Machine
Records of David W. Kendall, White House Counsel, 1958-1961, Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library

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White House Counsels

Rosenman Clifford Murphy Stephens (leave) Shanley Morgan Kendall Sorensen Feldman White Semer McPherson Temple Colson Ehrlichman Dean Garment Buchen Lipshutz Cutler Fielding Wallison Culvahouse Gray Nussbaum Cutler Mikva Quinn Ruff Mills (Acting) Nolan Gonzales Miers Fielding Craig Bauer Ruemmler Eggleston McGahn Flood (acting) Cipollone Remus Delery Siskel

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White House Office

American Innovation Cabinet Affairs Chief of Staff Communications Counsel Counselor Fellows First Lady
Executive Chef Floral Designer Social Secretary Gun Violence Prevention Intergovernmental Affairs Legislative Affairs Management and Administration Oval Office Operations Political Affairs Presidential Personnel Press Secretary Public Liaison Scheduling and Advance Senior Advisor Staff Secretary Trade and Manufacturing Policy

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Executive Office of the United States President
Executive Office

Advisory Boards (Council for Community Solutions, Corporation for National and Community Service, Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, President's Intelligence Advisory Board, President's Management Advisory Board) Council of Economic Advisers Council on Environmental Quality Digital Service Executive Residence (Committee for the Preservation of the White House, Office of the Curator, Office of the Chief Usher, Office of the Chief Floral Designer, Office of the Executive Chef, Graphics and Calligraphy Office) National Space Council National Security Council (Deputies Committee) Homeland Security Council Office of Administration (Office of Mail and Messenger Operations, Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Office of the Chief Administrative Officer) Office of Management and Budget (Office of the Chief Performance Officer, Office of E-Government and Information Technology, Office of Federal Financial Management, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs) Office of National Drug Control Policy Office of Science and Technology Policy (Office of the Chief Technology Officer, National Science and Technology Council) Office of the Trade Representative Office of the Vice President (Office of the Chief of Staff)

White House Office

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United States presidential advisorsWhite House CounselsExecutive Office of the President of the United StatesPresidency of the United StatesWhite House Office1943 establishments in Washington, D.C.