GOP/SENATE/SUPREME COURT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “As Brett Kavanaugh makes the rounds on Capitol Hill to meet influential senators, he is being shadowed by Donald McGahn, the White House lawyer who is reshaping some of the most influential courts across the country, including the Supreme Court. Dressed in a navy suit and yellow tie, Mr. McGahn accompanied Judge Kavanaugh on Thursday [7-12-18] to meet with Sen. Ben Sasse (R., Neb.). On Wednesday [7-11-18], it was Rob Portman (R., Ohio) and others. A low-key figure, Mr. McGahn has been noting senators’ questions and identifying potential pitfalls that could emerge in confirmation hearings expected later this summer, White House officials said. The procession around the halls of Congress marks what may be a swan song of sorts for Mr. McGahn as White House counsel, a post he has held since the start of the Trump administration after serving as President Donald Trump’s campaign counsel in the 2016 election. Colleagues say they have expected Mr. McGahn to resign for months after a tumultuous first year of the administration. But Mr. McGahn, 50 years old, once told Steve Bannon, formerly White House chief strategist, that his aim was to get two justices confirmed to the Supreme Court, a person familiar with the matter said.”
-Peter Nicholas and Brent Kendall, “White House Lawyer Reshapes U.S. Courts,” The Wall Street Journal, July 12, 2018 5:17 pm