Jonathan Meyer

Jonathan Eugene Meyer is an American lawyer and government official who has served as the sixth General Counsel of the United States Department of Homeland Security since 2021.
== Education ==
Meyer received his Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University, his Juris Doctor from Columbia University School of Law, and his Masters in Public Affairs from Princeton University.
== Legal career ==
After law school, he worked in private practice as a litigator and corporate lawyer before joining the staff of Republican Bill Gradison of Ohio. Meyer later served as a Deputy Assistant Attorney General at the United States Department of Justice before serving as counsel to then-Senator Joe Biden on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and as the Senator's acting Chief Counsel.https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2021/04/14/biden-taps-cincinnati-native-to-be-security-agency.html He later reprised his role at the United States Department of Justice and went on to serve as a Special Deputy General Counsel of Amtrak. Meyer joined the Department of Homeland Security in 2011, where he served as Senior Counselor and Deputy General Counsel until 2016, during the presidency of Barack Obama. He then joined the law firm Sheppard Mullin as a partner, where he worked until 2021. While in private practice, Meyer continued to make sporadic media appearances.https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/facing-unrest-on-american-streets-trump-turns-homeland-security-powers-inward/2020/07/21/655e7822-cb71-11ea-89ce-ac7d5e4a5a38_story.htmlhttps://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/10/trump-administration-collect-dna-migrantshttps://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/08/us/politics/trump-asylum-seekers-federal-judge.html Following the 2020 United States Presidential Election, then-President-elect Biden appointed Meyer to lead the DHS Agency Review Team (DHS Transition Team) as a part of the former's Presidential transition of Joe Biden.
== General Counsel of Homeland Security ==
On April 12, 2021, President Joe Biden announced Meyer as the nominee to be the Department of Homeland Security General Counsel. The nomination was widely reported, emphasizing the fact that "Meyer and Biden go way back."https://www.meritalk.com/articles/white-house-to-nominate-jen-easterly-as-cisa-director/ On April 29, 2021, his nomination was formally received by the United States Senate and referred to the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. On May 27, 2021, a hearing on his nomination was held before the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Cloture was invoked on Meyer's nomination on September 29, 2021 by a vote of 52-46 and he was confirmed by the US Senate on October 4, 2021, by a vote of 51-47. He was sworn in on October 6, 2021 by Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
== Controversies ==
Meyer was named in a Business Insider list of 31 top Biden appointees with "potential ethical conflicts," a list that included the majority of the Cabinet of Joe Biden.https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-conflicts-wealth-corporate-clients-ethics-2021-8 The article also highlights Meyer's financial disclosure, placing him in the category of making more than $500,000 per year as a partner in private practice, having represented clients such as Deloitte and Salesforce. His disclosure included a "confidential client whom he did not identify because the individual was subject to a non-public investigation." The Revolving Door Project claims he represented numerous military contractors, as well.https://therevolvingdoorproject.org/closing-the-revolving-door-public-financial-disclosures-reveal-potential-conflicts-of-interest-facing-biden-appointees/
Republican Senator Rob Portman claimed Meyer was slow and not entirely forthcoming in his responses to Members of Congress during his time in the Obama administration.https://about.bgov.com/news/biden-homeland-nominees-advance-despite-gop-concerns-on-border/ Democratic Senator Gary Peters, however, rebutted this, saying Meyer "has demonstrated that he understands the complex legal issues facing DHS and the importance of ensuring that the Department cooperates with Congressional oversight."https://www.portclintonnewsherald.com/story/news/2021/10/12/heres-look-how-area-members-congress-voted/6079947001/ Portman later issued a statement saying he had a secured a commitment from Meyer "that he would provide complete and timely materials requested by the Committee for oversight purposes."https://www.portman.senate.gov/newsroom/robs-rundown/robs-rundown-week-may-24-may-28-2021 Both Senators ultimately voted for Meyer's confirmation.
== Personal life ==
Meyer is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio and now lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland with his wife and three children. He is an "avid fan" of the Cincinnati Reds and Cincinnati Bengals.
Category:American lawyers
Category:Harvard University alumni
Category:United States government officials