CNN
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President-elect Donald Trump replaced his pick to serve as top White House counsel, in an abrupt decision that shows how quickly fortunes can change in Trump’s orbit due to internal divisions.
Trump announced Wednesday that he had selected his campaign’s general counsel, David Warrington, to serve as his White House legal advisor and that Bill McGinley, whom Trump previously tapped for the role, would instead serve as legal advisor to from the Ministry of Government Effectiveness.
The move was seen by some in Trump’s orbit as the result of an effort to push McGinley, someone with whom Trump was not very familiar, out of his key role.
McGinley I first got the green light after Boris Epshteyn, Trump’s senior adviser, pushed him to take the job and got him over the finish line, multiple sources told CNN at the time. Epshteyn, who CNN recently reported was the subject of an internal investigation into allegations that he sought to profit financially from his influence with Trump and others in his orbit, and helped fill a number of legal roles within of administration.
Warrington, who served as general counsel to the Trump campaign, is a Washington, D.C.-based attorney who represented the former president during the House Select Committee’s investigation into the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 He had been a favorite of new White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, a source said, adding that the decision to appoint McGinley was made while Wiles was attending a conference in Las Vegas at the . request from Epshteyn. Warrington and Wiles had offices next to each other in West Palm Beach.
Two sources close to Trump rejected the idea that the controversy surrounding Epshteyn was the only reason McGinley was moved to DOGE. They argue that they expect DOGE to be a large part of the work of the administration and that they expect the organization to face a number of legal hurdles that will require the attention of a competent attorney such as McGinley.
“Dave represented me well as my personal attorney and as general counsel for my presidential campaign. He is an esteemed attorney and conservative leader,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform, while also announcing McGinley’s change in role.
“Bill will play a crucial role in freeing our economy from burdensome regulations, excessive spending and government waste. He will partner with the White House and the Office of Management and Budget to provide advice and guidance to end the overburdened federal bureaucracy,” Trump said.
He added: “Bill is a great addition to an exceptional team focused on improving the lives of all Americans. He will be at the forefront of my administration’s efforts to make our government more efficient and more accountable. Congratulations to Dave and Bill!
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins contributed to this report.