Jeffrey Rosen
Jeffrey Rosen served as Deputy Attorney General and then Acting Attorney General of the United States from May 2019 to January 2021, after nearly 30 years as a partner at Kirkland & Ellis.
Jeffrey A. Rosen (b. 1958, Boston) spent nearly 30 years at Kirkland & Ellis, rising to co-head the DC office and join the firm's Global Executive Management Committee before entering government service 1. According to a review of public records, his career alternated between K&E partnership and senior government roles — DOT General Counsel, OMB General Counsel, DOT Deputy Secretary — culminating in his confirmation as Deputy Attorney General on May 22, 2019 and service as Acting Attorney General from December 24, 2020 through January 20, 2021 2.
According to news reports, Rosen held the number-two position at the Justice Department during the July 2019 arrest of Jeffrey Epstein and Epstein's death at MCC the following month, and Senator Kamala Harris formally demanded that both AG William Barr and Rosen recuse from the Epstein case given their shared institutional connection to Kirkland & Ellis, whose attorneys had negotiated Epstein's 2008 non-prosecution agreement; both declined 3. A review of documents in the primary corpus — DOJ Vol 11, DugganUSA, LMSBAND, and the Unified database — returned no records directly connecting Rosen to Epstein-related matters, a documented negative finding 4.
Career Trajectory
According to a review of records from AEI, DOJ, and LittleSis, Rosen joined Kirkland & Ellis as an associate in 1982 and made partner in 1988, served as co-head of the DC office, and was elected to the Global Executive Management Committee in 1999 2. Between 2003 and 2009 he held two government positions — General Counsel of the Department of Transportation and General Counsel of OMB — then returned to K&E as a partner from 2009 to 2017. He was appointed Deputy Secretary of Transportation in 2017, then confirmed as Deputy Attorney General on May 22, 2019, and served as Acting Attorney General from December 24, 2020 through January 20, 2021. Financial disclosures showed he received $1.57 million in compensation from K&E in his final year there, plus $189,000 annually from a K&E defined benefit plan while serving as DAG Connection #1689, Connection #1695.
Post-government, Rosen was appointed Chair of the Virginia Commission to Combat Antisemitism (2022–23), is a member of the Federalist Society, and holds positions as a nonresident senior fellow at AEI and of counsel at Cravath, Swaine & Moore, where his practice focuses on investigations, regulatory enforcement, compliance, and monitoring 1.
Kirkland & Ellis Alumni at DOJ
According to a review of records, during Rosen's tenure as DAG and Acting AG, senior DOJ leadership positions were occupied simultaneously by multiple Kirkland & Ellis alumni: William Barr (AG) was a K&E partner before returning to government; Brian Benczkowski headed the Criminal Division; Steven Engel served as AAG for the Office of Legal Counsel after a K&E associateship from 2002 to 2006; and Jeffrey Clark held leadership of the Environment and Natural Resources Division after K&E stints from 1996–2001 and 2005–2017 5. Mark Filip, a K&E partner and former DAG under Bush, continued defending clients at the firm while these alumni occupied DOJ leadership Connection #1689.
Analysis of the K&E alumni network indicates that this cluster of former colleagues simultaneously controlled or influenced the DOJ Criminal Division, OLC, and other senior positions during the period of the Epstein prosecution; Rosen's chief of staff at DOJ was Patrick Hovakimian, according to LittleSis records 5.
Epstein Prosecution and Recusal Demand
According to news reports, Rosen was the number-two official at DOJ when Jeffrey Epstein was arrested on July 6, 2019, and when Epstein died at MCC on August 10, 2019; after Epstein's death Rosen received briefings from Deputy FBI Director Bowdich every three hours 3. Epstein's 2008 non-prosecution agreement had been negotiated by Kirkland & Ellis attorneys, including Jay Lefkowitz and Ken Starr. According to records of Harris's letter, Senator Kamala Harris wrote to DOJ demanding formal recusals from both Barr and Rosen; Barr consulted DOJ career ethics officials and chose not to recuse from the SDNY prosecution, recusing only from the retrospective NPA review, and no public record indicates that Rosen recused 3.
A review of documents in the primary corpus — DOJ Vol 11, DugganUSA, LMSBAND, and the Unified database — returned no records directly naming Jeffrey Rosen in connection with Epstein-related matters 4. A single EFTA corpus hit referencing a "Jeffrey Rosen" 6 was confirmed to be a different individual, a Lazard managing director 4.
January 3, 2021 DOJ Crisis
According to contemporaneous reporting, in late December 2020 and early January 2021, Jeffrey Clark — a K&E alumnus who headed DOJ's Environment and Natural Resources Division — drafted letters to Georgia and other states falsely asserting that DOJ had identified concerns with the 2020 election results and urging state legislatures to convene to consider appointing alternate electors; Clark sought Trump's backing to send these letters over Rosen's objection 7.
On January 3, 2021, according to later congressional testimony, Rosen and Steven Engel presented Trump with a collective ultimatum: if Clark replaced Rosen as Acting AG, virtually the entire senior DOJ leadership would resign, and Trump withdrew the proposal 7. Analysis of records indicates that all three central actors — Rosen (K&E, ~30 years), Clark (K&E, 1996–2001, 2005–2017), and Engel (K&E, 2002–2006) — had trained and practiced at the same institution; Rosen and Engel both testified before the January 6 Committee on June 23, 2022 7.
All Connections
10 total
All Connections
10 totalRosen served as Barr's Deputy AG and succeeded him as Acting AG (Dec 2020 - Jan 2021). Rosen was previously Deputy Secretary of Transportation. Under Rosen, DOJ maintained continuity on Epstein-related matters after Barr's departure. Rosen later testified to Jan 6 Committee about Trump pressure to use DOJ to overturn election.
KE longtime partner. DAG under Barr. Later became acting AG after Barr resigned Dec 2020.
K&E Partner. Defended Raytheon, GM, Chamber of Commerce at K&E. Became Deputy AG then Acting AG.
Deputy AG 2019-2020, Acting AG Dec 2020-Jan 2021. Resisted Trump pressure to declare election corrupt. K&E partner before.
Both K&E alumni who served simultaneously at DOJ leadership — Barr as AG, Rosen as DAG. Both faced recusal demands from Sen. Harris over Epstein case due to K&E connection. Both declined to recuse from SDNY prosecution.
Both K&E alumni at DOJ. Clark (K&E 1996-2001, 2005-2017) attempted to use DOJ to overturn 2020 election; Rosen (K&E nearly 30 years) resisted as Acting AG. Clark tried to replace Rosen with Trump's backing. Trump backed down after mass resignation threat. Three K&E alumni (Rosen, Engel, Clark) were the three principal actors in this constitutional crisis.
Both K&E alumni at DOJ. Engel (K&E 2002-2006) served as AAG OLC under Rosen. Together they resisted Jeffrey Clark's election overthrow scheme and threatened mass resignation on Jan 3, 2021. Both testified at Jan. 6 Committee hearings June 23, 2022.
DAG May 22 2019-Dec 24 2020 (confirmed 52-45), Acting AG Dec 24 2020-Jan 20 2021. As DAG was #2 at DOJ during Epstein arrest, death at MCC, and start of Maxwell investigation. Received briefings from Deputy FBI Director Bowdich every 3 hours post-Epstein death.
Both KE partners. Rosen was 29-year KE partner received 1.57M comp plus 189K annual from KE defined benefit plan even while serving as DAG. Oversaw DOJ while Filip defended clients at KE.
Both K&E alumni at DOJ simultaneously. Rosen was Deputy AG (and later Acting AG), 29 years at K&E, received .57M in final year compensation. Together with Barr, the three top DOJ Criminal Division decision-makers were all K&E alumni.
All Findings
7 total
All Findings
7 totalfinancial (1)
FEC records show Rosen made exclusively Republican political donations while at K&E (McLean, VA address). Key recipients: John Boehner (,000 + ,700 + ,300 via Boehner for Speaker and personal), Mitt Romney (,955 + ,500 via Romney Victory), Rob Portman (,650, 8 filings 2009-2015), Mike Gallagher (,100), Marco Rubio (,350), Ted Cruz (,000), Liz Cheney (), Kirkland & Ellis PAC (,250, 1992-1995), George W. Bush (,000, 1999-2004). Also gave to RNC, NRSC, NRCC. Total identified donations approximately ,000+ from 1992-2021. Consistent establishment Republican donor.
relationship (1)
K&E revolving door network around Rosen: (1) AG Barr was K&E partner before DOJ. (2) Jeffrey Clark was K&E partner 2005-2017 before returning to DOJ. (3) Steven Engel was K&E associate 2002-2006 before DOJ OLC. (4) Rosen's chief of staff at DOJ was Patrick Hovakimian (per LittleSis). (5) Rosen was co-head of K&E DC office and on Global Executive Management Committee — meaning he was one of the firm's most senior leaders. The same firm that represented Epstein in 2008 had its senior alumni filling AG, DAG, and AAG OLC simultaneously.
legal (4)
Rosen's K&E client work pre-DOJ involved complex business litigation for GM, AOL, Netscape, Marriott and other major corporations. He was adjunct professor at Georgetown Law 1996-2003. At K&E he served as co-head of the DC office and on the Global Executive Management Committee (elected 1999 at age 41). His practice focused on litigation and regulatory matters. Post-DOJ he was appointed Chair of the Virginia Commission to Combat Antisemitism (2022-23), and is a member of the Federalist Society. Currently a nonresident senior fellow at AEI and of counsel at Cravath focusing on investigations, regulatory enforcement, compliance, and monitoring.
No direct Epstein connection found in document corpus. DOJ Vol 11, DugganUSA (1000 hits but all different Rosens — Gary Rosen via Brockman/JTF, Aby Rosen real estate, Arthur Rosen tax attorney at McDermott Will, Robert Rosen, Rosen Aviation displays), LMSBAND, and Unified DB searches returned zero documents linking Jeffrey A. Rosen (K&E/DAG) to Jeffrey Epstein. The Epstein corpus 'Jeffrey Rosen' hit EFTA02350642 is a different Jeffrey Rosen — a Lazard investment banker connected to Mortimer Zuckerman and Eric Gertler regarding the Daily News sale (2015). This confirms Rosen's relevance is institutional (K&E network, DOJ oversight role) not personal.
Rosen was DAG when Epstein was arrested (Jul 6, 2019) and died at MCC (Aug 10, 2019). Senator Kamala Harris specifically demanded both AG Barr AND DAG Rosen recuse from Epstein case due to shared K&E connection — Epstein's 2008 plea deal was negotiated by K&E attorneys (Jay Lefkowitz, Ken Starr). Barr consulted DOJ career ethics officials and chose NOT to recuse from the SDNY prosecution (only recused from retrospective NPA review). No public record of Rosen recusing. After Epstein's death, Rosen received briefings from Deputy FBI Director Michael Bowdich approximately every three hours on the investigation.
K&E alumni dominated both sides of the Jan 3, 2021 DOJ crisis. Jeffrey Clark (K&E 1996-2001, 2005-2017) tried to send fraudulent election letters to states. Rosen (K&E nearly 30 years) and Steven Engel (K&E 2002-2006, AAG OLC) resisted and threatened mass resignation. Trump backed down only when told entire DOJ leadership would resign within 24-48 hours. Three K&E alumni — Rosen, Engel, Clark — were the three principal actors in this constitutional crisis. Rosen testified at Jan. 6 Committee hearings June 23, 2022.
identity (1)
Jeffrey A. Rosen (b. 1958, Boston) complete career: K&E Associate 1982-1988, Partner 1988-2003 (Global Executive Management Committee 1999), returned 2009-2017. Government: DOT General Counsel 2003-2006, OMB General Counsel 2006-2009, DOT Deputy Secretary 2017-2019, DAG May 22 2019-Dec 24 2020, Acting AG Dec 24 2020-Jan 20 2021. Post-DOJ: AEI Fellow 2021, Cravath Swaine & Moore Of Counsel July 2023-present. Nearly 30 years total at K&E. Did NOT return to K&E after DOJ — went to Cravath instead.