AG Barr Names Will Levi New Chief of Staff

Attorney General William Barr has named one of his seven counselors, Will Levi, his new chief of staff, two Justice Department officials confirmed Thursday, according to Politico.

Levi has worked under Barr for two years, assisting in his attempts to revise the government's domestic surveillance powers and other initiatives at the Department of Justice. He began his new role Monday, succeeding Brian Rabbitt.

Rabbitt stepped down to take a senior post in the criminal division of the DOJ that handles the same issues he dealt with in the public and private sectors, which he had wanted to return to for some time.

Barr recently broke with President Donald Trump over the reauthorization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, sparring with GOP lawmakers during a meeting Tuesday over major changes they proposed.

Levi's father, David Levi, was a U.S. Attorney in California during the Reagan administration, and his grandfather, Edward Levi, was former President Gerald Ford's attorney general. Will Levi previously clerked for Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, who told Politico that Levi "was immensely helpful, and I was deeply impressed by his brilliant work, his diligence and his deep dedication to public service and the rule of law."

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