Image by Getty Images

Attorney Jamie Gorelick, who served as deputy attorney general under former President Bill Clinton, is representing Jared Kushner as he enters the White House as senior advisor to his father-in-law, President-elect Donald Trump.

Gorelick’s job representing Kushner is about as unconventional as her client’s new role — the WilmerHale partner was a significant contributor to Hillary Clinton’s presidential and senate campaigns.

Here are four facts about this unexpected ally.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

1. New Yorker, Born and Raised

Gorelick is originally from Great Neck, a Long Island suburb of New York City, where she grew up in a Jewish family. She earned her undergraduate and law degrees from Harvard University.

1. Staunch Hillary Ally and Rumored Attorney General

Gorelick’s name was high on the list of potential attorneys general for a Hillary Clinton administration, a reflection of years of loyalty. Before the election, Gorelick lead the charge against FBI director James Comey for relaunching an investigation against the candidate’s private email server. And she defended the Clinton Foundation in a suit brought against it several few years ago.

1. Cashed In at Fannie Mae

After leaving the Clinton White House, Gorelick was hired as Vice Chairman of Fannie Mae, where she earned more than $20 million. Some conservatives blame the semi-public mortgage for the financial crisis. During Gorelick’s tenure, Fannie Mae was found to have more than $9 billion in accounting irregularities.

1. History of Unpopular Clients

Gorelick has not shied away from controversial clients. She was top legal council for British Petroleum after the company poisoned the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 with Deepwater Horizon oil spill. More than a decade ago she defended Duke University in a lawsuit over a lacrosse team rape scandal. So representing Jared Kushner may seem to be an abrupt turn, but Gorelick has actually been an iconoclast for years.

Contact Daniel J. Solomon at [email protected] or on Twitter @DanielJSolomon

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount