Overview

David Alan Warrington (born September 16, 1967) is the White House Counsel to President Donald Trump, serving in that capacity since January 20, 2025. As White House Counsel, he serves as the top attorney in the White House and leads the Office of White House Counsel — the institutional legal arm of the presidency responsible for advising the President and executive branch staff on legal and constitutional matters, executive privilege, ethics compliance, judicial nominations, and the President’s exercise of executive authority.

Warrington came to the role after serving as personal counsel to Donald Trump and as general counsel for Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign. He was named to the position on December 4, 2024, replacing Bill McGinley in a last-minute switch reportedly driven by incoming Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. Prior to joining the administration, Warrington was a partner at the Dhillon Law Group, where he led the political law practice group.

This profile documents Warrington’s role as the executive branch’s chief legal officer. Accountability concerns center on documented legal guidance issued under his authority — particularly a memorandum directing White House staff that they were no longer required to comply with the Presidential Records Act, a position a federal judge subsequently called a “stark misreading” of Supreme Court precedent. The Office of White House Counsel holds enormous institutional power over the administration of law within the executive branch; how that office is directed is a matter of legitimate public accountability.

Background

David Warrington is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served from 1985 to 1991, attaining the rank of Sergeant. He graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown University and earned his J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. He is licensed to practice law in Virginia.

Warrington’s career in political law stretches back to the Ron Paul presidential campaigns. He assisted Ron Paul’s 2008 presidential run and served as general counsel for Paul’s 2012 campaign, notably defending Paul’s delegate operations at the 2012 Republican National Convention. That work drew the attention of Don McGahn, then general counsel for Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, who brought Warrington into the Trump orbit.

Warrington subsequently joined Harmeet Dhillon’s firm, the Dhillon Law Group, where he led the political law practice unit. At the firm, he represented several Trump allies, including Sebastian Gorka and Michael Flynn. He served as president of the Republican National Lawyers Association from 2019 to 2020. Before the 2024 election, Warrington became Trump’s personal attorney and served as general counsel for the Trump 2024 presidential campaign.

Role in Trump Administration

Warrington was named White House Counsel on December 4, 2024, in a reported departure from the initially announced selection of Bill McGinley. According to press accounts, incoming Chief of Staff Susie Wiles backed Warrington over McGinley, whose selection had been advanced by Boris Epshteyn while Wiles and her staff were traveling.

As White House Counsel, Warrington leads an office that has operated in an unusually litigation-heavy posture in the second Trump administration. His stated responsibilities include advising on executive orders, managing the administration’s legal exposure in federal courts, overseeing executive privilege assertions, advising on judicial nominations, and providing legal guidance to White House staff.

Prior to Trump’s second inauguration, Warrington reportedly planned legal strategies for the administration’s initial executive orders. After the inauguration, he provided the President with legal options for granting clemency to individuals convicted of crimes related to the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack.

Documented Actions

January 6 Pardon Guidance (January 2025) Following Trump’s second inauguration, Warrington provided Trump with legal options regarding clemency for individuals convicted in connection with the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack. Trump subsequently issued pardons and commutations for a broad category of January 6 defendants. [Source: Wikipedia / reporting on transition period]

Presidential Records Act Memorandum (April 2, 2025) One day after the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel issued a memorandum finding the Presidential Records Act (PRA) unconstitutional, Warrington issued an internal memorandum to White House staff stating that they were no longer required to comply with the law. Under the new internal policy, text messages and other electronic communications on personal devices or applications needed to be preserved only if they constituted the “sole record” of an official action or were otherwise deemed “unique.” Transparency advocates and historians immediately raised concerns that ephemeral messaging on platforms such as Signal or WhatsApp could be lost under this standard. [Sources: The Columbian (May 20, 2026); SSBCrack News, citing court records]

Preliminary Injunction Against PRA Guidance (May 2026) A federal judge (Judge Bates) issued a 54-page preliminary injunction rejecting the Trump administration’s constitutional challenge to the Presidential Records Act. The court found the PRA is likely constitutional and characterized the administration’s position as a “stark misreading” of Supreme Court precedent on separation of powers. The injunction applies to the White House Office, the National Security Council, the Council of Economic Advisers, the U.S. DOGE Service, and all advisers to the President. The underlying lawsuit will proceed on the merits and could reach the D.C. Circuit and the Supreme Court. [Sources: The Columbian (May 20, 2026); SSBCrack News]

Accountability Concerns

Presidential Records Act Compliance Warrington’s April 2, 2025 memorandum directing White House staff to cease treating all official communications as presidential records has generated significant accountability concern. A federal court subsequently found this guidance was based on a “stark misreading” of Supreme Court precedent and issued a preliminary injunction. If electronic communications on personal devices or ephemeral messaging apps were deleted or not preserved during the period between the issuance of Warrington’s memorandum and the court’s injunction, those records may be permanently lost. The extent of any records loss during that interval is [NEEDS VERIFICATION — 2026-05-30].

January 6 Clemency Warrington provided Trump with legal options for granting clemency to January 6 defendants. The legal basis and scope of the advice given is not publicly known. [NEEDS VERIFICATION — 2026-05-30 as to specific advice provided.]

Breadth of Executive Privilege Assertions The White House Counsel’s office under Warrington has reportedly asserted executive privilege in response to congressional oversight requests and related litigation. The scope and legal basis of specific privilege assertions are [NEEDS VERIFICATION — 2026-05-30].

Standards note: All claims in this section that have not been confirmed by primary sources or multi-outlet reporting are marked accordingly. No claim characterizes Warrington as having committed a crime absent court records establishing that finding.

Investigative Trails

Researchers investigating David Warrington’s conduct as White House Counsel may find the following primary-source channels productive:

• Federal court records (PACER / CourtListener): The Presidential Records Act litigation (case pending in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia) includes court filings referencing Warrington’s April 2, 2025 memorandum. Search PACER for cases citing “White House Counsel” and “Presidential Records Act” filed in 2025–2026.
• White House Visitor Logs: The Trump administration’s disclosure of visitor logs has been inconsistent; requests under FOIA and through Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) may surface relevant records.
• Congressional testimony and correspondence: Warrington’s office may have received congressional oversight letters related to the PRA guidance, executive privilege assertions, or other matters. Congressional records and the House and Senate Judiciary Committee archives are relevant.
• DOJ Office of Legal Counsel opinions: The April 1, 2025 OLC memorandum finding the PRA unconstitutional, which preceded Warrington’s memorandum by one day, is a public government document that provides direct context for his subsequent guidance.
• Bar records: Warrington is licensed in Virginia. Virginia State Bar disciplinary records are publicly searchable.
• Campaign finance records (FEC): Warrington served as general counsel for the Trump 2024 campaign. FEC filings document compensation and campaign legal expenditures during that period.

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Sources

1. “David Warrington,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Warrington (accessed May 30, 2026)
2. “David Alan Warrington,” The Government Lawyers Database (glowlaw.org), https://glowlaw.org/lawyers/p_RAgMTGf8knuSmPs41m2hf (accessed May 30, 2026)
3. “Statement by President-elect Donald J. Trump Announcing the Appointment of David A. Warrington as Assistant to the President and Counsel to the President,” December 4, 2024, The American Presidency Project, https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/statement-president-elect-donald-j-trump-announcing-the-appointment-david-warrington
4. “Presidential Records Act defended,” The Columbian, May 20, 2026, https://www.columbian.com/news/2026/may/20/presidential-records-act-defended/
5. “White House Staff Ordered to Comply with Presidential Records Act as Judge Rejects Trump Administration’s Constitutional Challenge,” SSBCrack News (citing court records and reporting), https://news.ssbcrack.com/white-house-staff-ordered-to-comply-with-presidential-records-act-as-judge-rejects-trump-administrations-constitutional-challenge/ (accessed May 30, 2026)