Matt Whitaker (file photo)
A Bloomberg report out of Washington, D.C. indicates an Iowan who’s run unsuccessfully for statewide office twice will be the new chief of staff for the U.S. Attorney General.
Matthew Whitaker of Clive was the GOP nominee for state treasurer in 2002. President Bush named Whitaker the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa in 2004 and Whitaker held that post for five and a half years. In 2014, Whitaker was one of five Republicans who ran for the U.S. Senate, the year Joni Ernst won the GOP primary and the general election.
Whitaker, who is 47 years old, played football at the University of Iowa and earned an MBA and a law degree from the school as well.
Two other high-ranking Republican politicians are partners in Whitaker’s Des Moines law firm. Attorney Jack Whitver is the president of the Iowa Senate and attorney Chris Hagenow is the majority leader in the Iowa House.
Whitaker has recently been a CNN legal commentator. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Whitaker founded and became executive director of the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT), conservative watchdog group. He recently wrote an opinion piece for The Hill, saying the connection between Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign and the Ukraine is worth exploring.