Ken Wainstein, who warned about Trump, to be named Homeland Security
In their endorsement, the former US attorneys said that Trump had politicized the Justice Department and undermined the department’s ability to unify and lead the nation’s law enforcement.
“Ken has decades of government experience at the highest levels. His deep expertise in national security, counterterrorism, and intelligence matters will benefit our Department and our Nation if he is confirmed,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement.
Wainstein, a partner at the law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell, previously served as the US attorney for the District of Columbia and as the Homeland Security Adviser to former President George W. Bush.
He also served as the Justice Department’s first assistant attorney general for national security, where he oversaw the establishment of the National Security Division. In addition to chief of staff, Wainstein was general counsel at the FBI.
There was also a leadership shakeup, a scathing whistleblower report and accusations of retaliation.
The office has not had a Senate-confirmed leader since David Glawe’s departure in May 2020.
Brian Murphy, who served for a time during the Trump administration as the acting under secretary for the DHS intelligence office, was reassigned last August.
The office also came under scrutiny for not producing a bulletin or warning about the potential for violence at the US Capitol on January 6.
In recent months, under Cohen’s…
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