On August 22, Edward Siskel was named by US President Joe Biden as the new White House counsel. This decision marks Siskel as the official successor to Stuart Delery, who declared on August 17 his departure from his position within the Biden administration following a three-year tenure. During this time frame, Delery predominantly managed legal inquiries pertaining to the White House’s actions amid the pandemic and the execution of the president’s legislative achievements.
As per the White House, Siskel is set to assume the position of the primary legal representative for the Biden administration in September. Various sources have highlighted his extensive Democratic Party affiliation and his past involvement with the White House Counsel’s team during the Obama administration.
During that timeframe, a notable position held by Siskel was that of deputy counsel. In this capacity, he was responsible for managing the White House’s legal reactions to Congress’ oversight on various issues. These encompassed tasks such as overseeing the implementation of the Affordable Care Act and formulating responses to the Benghazi attack. The incident in the Libyan city stood as a significant point of contention during the Obama administration.
Following his tenure in that capacity, he took on the role of corporation counsel under former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. In this capacity, Siskel had the responsibility of supervising the city’s Department of Law, which was allocated a substantial operating budget and housed numerous legal professionals in Chicago.
According to information from a Politico article, President Joe Biden’s personal legal representative remains as Bob Bauer. Presently, Bauer is tasked with representing the President in matters concerning classified documents discovered by authorities at his office and residence in Wilmington, Delaware.
Siskel’s central concentration will revolve around promptly advancing the president’s fresh undertakings and effectively managing the ongoing endeavors to approve additional judges within the United States federal courts. An undisclosed White House representative informed Politico that Siskel was deemed the perfect nominee to succeed Delery due to his extensive familiarity with the counsel’s functions.
This official, who communicated on the condition of anonymity, also shared with Politico that President Biden was appreciative of Siskel’s comprehensive grasp of various subjects, encompassing criminal justice reform and the challenges linked to the opioid epidemic.
