Greg Craig

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Gregory Bestor Craig (born Norfolk, Virginia, March 4, 1945) is a famous Washington-based lawyer.

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[edit] Early Years

Craig is the son of William G. Craig, a university educator who died in 2005.[1]

Greg Craig attended Philips Exeter Academy, then graduated in the class of 1967 of Harvard College and attended Cambridge University in England.

Craig, soon after graduating in 1971 from Yale Law School, where he met Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham,[2] he began his career at the Washington-based law firm Williams & Connolly, where he is now a partner.[3]

Mr. Craig is married to Derry Noyes, a graphic designer who has designed several postage stamps for the United States Postal Service.[4]

[edit] Government Service

Mr. Craig served as Senator Edward Kennedy’s Senior Advisor on Defense, Foreign Policy and National Security issues for five years (1984-88).

In 1997, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright appointed Mr. Craig as one of her senior advisors, and he served as Director of Policy Planning during 1997-1998. In late 1997, Greg Craig was appointed to be a special coordinator to focus attention on China's suppression of Tibet's cultural and religious traditions.[5]

In September 1998, President Clinton appointed Mr. Craig as Assistant to the President and Special Counsel in the White House where Mr. Craig directed the President’s team defending against impeachment. Mr. Craig was also a member of the President’s trial team in the United States Senate.

In 2004, Craig played George W. Bush in mock debates designed to tune up Democratic nominee John Kerry for the three general election match-ups against the President.

[edit] Controversial Clients

Mr. Craig has had many controversial and high profile clients during his career. In one of his first high-profile cases, Mr. Craig represented John Hinckley, Jr., the would-be assassin of President Ronald Reagan in 1981-1982. Craig was the architect of Hinkley's successful insanity defense.[6]

He represented his former boss, Senator Edward Kennedy, during the 1991 rape trial of William Kennedy Smith.[7]

Greg Craig also represented the Cuban father of Elián González during the 2000 child custody dispute that ended in the forcible seizure by U.S. Marshals of Elián González from the Miami, Florida home of his relatives.[8]

Attorney Craig represented United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan during the Volker Commission's investigations in 2004 surrounding the Oil-for-Food Programme scandal.

Most recently, he has been representing Pedro Miguel González Pinzón, a Panamanian legislator who is wanted in the United States for the murder, in 1992, of a U.S. Army soldier and the attempted murder of another. The Dallas Morning News called on Senator Obama to ask Mr. Craig to choose between the campaign and involvement in the case.[9] Attorney Craig had previously represented the Government of Panamá during the 1990 trial of Gen. Manuel Noriega[10] and had sought the return to Panamá's treasury of funds stolen by Noriega.

[edit] Support of Senator Obama's Candidacy

Because of Greg Craig's previously close ties to the Clintons, some saw Craig's support of Senator Barack Obama's presidential ambitions as surprising.[11] Craig's support for Senator Obama dates to March 2007.[12]

[edit] References

  1. ^ New York Times Mar. 11, 2005 obituary of William G. Craig.
  2. ^ New York Times article from Sept. 16, 1998 providing a biography of Mr. Craig.
  3. ^ Greg Craig's personal web page at Williams & Connolly website.
  4. ^ Washington Post article of Nov. 19, 1998.
  5. ^ New York Times article of Nov. 1, 1997 on Craig's appointment.
  6. ^ National Review article of May 22, 2000 by John J. Miller.
  7. ^ New York Times article of Nov. 1, 1991 stating that Gregory B. Craig represented Senator Edward Kennedy during the trial of his nephew William Kennedy Smith.
  8. ^ Transcript of April 22, 2000 CNN interview with attorney Craig on seizure of Elián González.
  9. ^ Dallas Morning News editorial of January 14, 2008 on Obama's ties to González Pinzón's attorney.
  10. ^ New York Times article of June 21, 1990 stating that Attorney Craig sought to block the use of funds stolen from Panamá as a source for Noriega's defense.
  11. ^ New Yorker article of Jan. 28, 2008 about Craig's support of Obama.
  12. ^ Robert Novak article posted to RealClearPolitics on Mar. 3, 2007.

[edit] External links

[edit] See Also