Mark Paoletta

Paoletta received a bachelor's degree from Duquesne University and his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.{{cite web|title=National Journal (June 21, 2003) "The Hill People - House Energy and Commerce Committee"|url=http://www.nationaljournal.com/members/news/2003/06/NJ062103.10.htm}}{{Dead link|date=March 2016}}

Paoletta served as Assistant Counsel to the President during the George H. W. Bush administration, where he played a key role in the successful confirmation effort of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

Paoletta subsequently created a website to promote Thomas's autobiography, My Grandfather's Son, as well as positive stories by others about Thomas.{{cite web |title=MyGrandfathersSon.com |url=http://www.mygrandfathersson.com/Friends.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080905143150/http://www.mygrandfathersson.com/Friends.html |archive-date=Sep 5, 2008 |access-date=August 1, 2018}}

Paoletta served as Chief Counsel for Oversight and Investigations for the House Energy and Commerce Committee from September 1997 until January 2007.{{cite web|title=DLA Piper, Global Law Firm - United States - Our People - Mark R. Pao...|url=http://www.dlapiper.com/us/people/detail.aspx?attorney=8752|date=January 21, 2013|website=archive.is|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130121165524/http://www.dlapiper.com/us/people/detail.aspx?attorney=8752|archive-date=January 21, 2013}} In this role, Paoletta managed nearly 200 investigative hearings.

In a report released in February 2007, Congressman Joe Barton (R-Texas), ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, released a compilation of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee's work from 2001 through 2006 that served "as a road map through many of the great government and corporate scandals of this decade."{{cite web|title=News Center|url=https://energycommerce.house.gov/News/PRArticle.aspx|website=Energy and Commerce Committee|access-date=August 19, 2017|archive-date=August 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170804145050/https://energycommerce.house.gov/news/PRARTICLE.ASPX|url-status=dead}}[http://republicans.energycommerce.house.gov/Media/File/News/02072007_OI_Legacy.pdf House Energy and Commerce Committee Republicans (February 7, 2007) "Oversight & Investigations Subcommittee Accomplishments"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723095129/http://republicans.energycommerce.house.gov/Media/File/News/02072007_OI_Legacy.pdf|date=July 23, 2011}}

In 2007, Paoletta became partner at the Washington, D.C. law firm DLA Piper and partner in the firm's Federal Law and Policy practice. He has represented numerous companies and individuals, including a major hedge funds and foreign and domestic banks, according to Bisnow Media.{{Cite web |url=http://www.bisnow.com/washington_dc_legal_news_story.php?p=2890 |title=Legal Bisnow (March 18, 2009) "Road Tripper" |access-date=November 2, 2009 |archive-date=January 13, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100113221637/http://bisnow.com/washington_dc_legal_news_story.php?p=2890 |url-status=dead }}

{{main|2006 dismissal of U.S. attorneys}}

Paoletta has represented Scott Jennings, a former Special Assistant to President George W. Bush, in connection with the various investigations into the firings of U.S. Attorneys. In 2007, Paoletta appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee as counsel for Scott Jennings, who had been directed by President Bush to not answer certain questions based on an assertion of executive privilege.

In a letter to Chairman Patrick Leahy and Senator Arlen Specter, White House Counsel Fred F. Fielding indicated that President Bush would assert executive privilege regarding Jennings' testimony. The letter indicates that Jennings was made aware of the President's decision and was directed not to provide any testimony covered by the assertion.[http://leahy.senate.gov/press/200708/07-08-01%20white%20house%20rove.pdf White House Counsel to the President, Fred Fielding (August 1, 2007)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091104120344/http://leahy.senate.gov/press/200708/07-08-01%20white%20house%20rove.pdf |date=November 4, 2009 }}

In November 2007, Paoletta was selected to serve as outside counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee to Investigate Voting Irregularities of August 2, 2007.[http://www.mikepence.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=415&catid=38:2007-news Mike Pence (December 4, 2007) "Pence and Delahunt Announce Staff for Select Committee"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090627084452/http://www.mikepence.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=415&catid=38%3A2007-news|date=June 27, 2009}}[http://www.rules.house.gov/111/LegText/111_hres_ruleschnge_smmry.pdf Section-by-Section of Rule Changes – 111th Congress] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100105235704/http://www.rules.house.gov/111/LegText/111_hres_ruleschnge_smmry.pdf|date=January 5, 2010}}{{cite news|title=The Mysterious, Strapping Whisperer|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/law/2006/09/28/the-mysterious-strapping-whisperer/|last=Lattman|first=Peter|newspaper=Wall Street Journal |date=September 28, 2006}}

Paoletta's work representing strength trainer Brian McNamee in the 2008 United States Congressional hearing on Roger Clemens was highlighted in the book, American Icon: The Fall of Roger Clemens and the Rise of Steroids in America's Pastime by Teri Thompson, Nathaniel Vinton, Michael O'Keeffe, and Christian Red.{{cite news |title=American Icon|first1=Teri|last1=Thompson |first2=Nathaniel|last2=Vinton |first3=Michael|last3=O'Keeffe|first4=Christian|last4=Red |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/11/books/11excerpt.html|date=May 11, 2009}}

On January 5, 2017, Paoletta along with then Vice President-elect Mike Pence, Reince Priebus, Steve Bannon, and Don McGahn helped Donald Trump vet Judge Neil Gorsuch to fill the vacant seat on the Supreme Court. On January 25, 2017, Paoletta was named as chief counsel and assistant to the Vice President.{{Cite news |url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/01/25/vice-president-mike-pence-announces-andrea-thompson-national-security |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170125184626/https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/01/25/vice-president-mike-pence-announces-andrea-thompson-national-security |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 25, 2017 |title=Vice President Mike Pence Announces Andrea Thompson as National Security Advisor|date=January 25, 2017 |newspaper=White House |access-date=February 10, 2017}} In January 2018, Paoletta left the Vice President's office to become the General Counsel for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

During the Trump administration, Paoletta was described as a "hard-charging conservative lawyer little known to the public" by The Washington Post. In his role, Paoletta overruled objections from officials at both the OMB and the Department of Defense to delay U.S. security assistance to Ukraine.

The Washington Post also reported that Paoletta helped craft the Trump administration's legal justifications to restrict billions of dollars worth of disaster aid to Puerto Rico. Additionally, Paoletta reportedly helped build the Trump administration's legal reasoning behind its effort to divert funding for the Department of Defense to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.{{Cite news |last1=Werner |first1=Erica |last2=Stein |first2=Jeff |last3=Dawsey |first3=Jeff |date=2020-01-28 |title=Hard-charging White House budget lawyer in middle of Ukraine decision has pushed legal limits for Trump |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2020/01/28/hard-charging-white-house-budget-lawyer-middle-ukraine-decision-has-pushed-legal-limits-trump/ |newspaper=Washington Post}}

Paoletta's work in the Enron investigation was highlighted in the book Conspiracy of Fools: A True Story, by Kurt Eichenwald.USA Today (July 26, 2002) "Rep. Tauzin Turns Business Scandals Into Must-See TV" Paoletta wrote about his work on the Committee in a February 5, 2007 article in Roll Call.{{cite web |last=Paoletta |first=Mark |date=February 2, 2007 |title=Oversight Never Ended at Energy and Commerce |url=https://www.rollcall.com/2007/02/02/oversight-never-ended-at-energy-and-commerce/ |via=Roll Call}} Paoletta also co-authored a piece entitled "Storm Clouds on the Horizon – Congressional Investigations 101."[http://www.dicksteinshapiro.com/theadvisorspring2008/storm/ The Advisor (Spring 2008) "Congressional Investigations: Storm Clouds on the Horizon"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110214140754/http://www.dicksteinshapiro.com/theadvisorspring2008/storm/|date=February 14, 2011}}

{{Commons category}}

• [https://bush41library.tamu.edu/files/foia/1998-0207-F%20%5BClarence%20Thomas-Supreme%20Court%20Nomination%5D.pdf George H. W. Bush Library files on Clarence Thomas nomination, with extensive material contributed by Paoletta]

{{reflist|30em}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Paoletta, Mark}}

Category:Living people

Category:Duquesne University alumni

Category:Georgetown University Law Center alumni

Category:American political consultants

Category:United States Office of Management and Budget officials

Category:First Trump administration personnel

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:Second Trump administration personnel