The head of the Justice Department's National Security Division has pulled into his front office a group of lawyers with diverse backgrounds, according to a list the department published today.
Assistant Attorney General David Kris announced the following appointments: Brad Wiegmann as principal deputy assistant attorney general, Donald Vieira as chief of staff, Todd Hinnen as deputy assistant attorney general for law and policy, Tashina Gauhar as deputy assistant attorney general for intelligence and George Toscas as acting deputy assistant attorney general for counterterrorism and counterespionage.
Wiegmann is currently serving as co-chair of the president’s Detention Policy Task Force, which is reviewing, among other things, the process for determining where to try suspected terrorists in federal district court. Wiegmann formerly worked at the State Department, where he was an assistant legal advisor.
Vieira has worked in the National Security Division as a lawyer in the Counterespionage Section. A former Williams & Connolly associate, Vieira is a former deputy chief counsel for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
Hinnen joins the division after serving as chief counsel for then-Sen. Joe Biden. Hinnen is also a former trial attorney in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
Gauhar has served in a variety of positions in the Justice Department since 2001. She formerly served as assistant counsel and chief of operations in what was then called the Office of Intelligence Policy and Review. Gauhar is a one-time associate at DLA Piper.
Toscas is a 16-year career prosecutor who entered the Justice Department through the honors program. He has served in the Counterterrorism Section.
Kris’ also announced several other front-office positions: senior counselor Leonard Bailey, who is heading the National Security Division’s cyber effort, came over from the Criminal Division’s Computer Crimes and Intellectual Property Section. Carrie Cordero is counsel to Kris, and Brian Nelson is special counsel.
Cordero returned to the NSD from a joint duty assignment at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, where she served as a senior associate general counsel in the General Counsel’s office. Nelson is a former associate in the Washington office of Sidley Austin. Sheryl Walter remains the division’s executive officer.
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