Remake White House Counsel as agenda-loyal “activist plaintiffs’ firm”
Mandate rejects Counsel as a cautious institutional check and instead wants lawyers deeply committed to the President’s agenda—loyalty over elite credentials—who advocate like an activist plaintiffs’ firm within legal bounds.
Mandate
Mandate Ch. 1 (White House Office) — Office of White House Counsel: Counsel should be deeply committed to the President’s agenda and zealous representation; staff should problem-solve for the agenda rather than erect roadblocks out of caution; the office should function more as an activist yet ethical plaintiffs’ firm; the best counsel will be above all loyal to the President and the Constitution rather than a specialist with elite credentials.
Undo plan
1) Restore Counsel hiring criteria emphasizing constitutional/administrative-law independence, conflict-of-interest rigor, and duty to lawful process—not campaign loyalty tests.
2) Reinstate written office policy that Counsel’s role includes identifying legal risk and declining unlawful options, with documented advice to the President.
3) Separate personal/political defense from official Counsel functions; require outside counsel for personal matters.
4) Codify ethics training cadence and financial-disclosure/gift monitoring as non-negotiable Counsel duties.
5) Verify: annual public ethics report from Counsel’s office; Inspector General or outside bar review of politicized legal advice patterns.