Mark Paoletta

From January 8, 2018, to January 20, 2021, Paoletta was the Office of Management and Budget’s general counsel. Prior to that, from January 20, 2017, to January 5, 2018, he served as Vice President Mike Pence’s chief attorney and assistant. Paoletta specializes in defending clients before congressional committees. He spoke on behalf of Ginni Thomas, a conservative activist and the wife of US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas in her encounters with the US House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack. Ginni and Clarence Thomas are good friends of Paoletta. Paoletta began his professional career as the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Chief Counsel for Oversight and Investigations, a position he held from September 1997 to January 2007. During his time in this post, Paoletta was in charge of managing over 200 hearings for investigations. Congressman Joe Barton (R-Texas), who was the Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, emphasized his work in a thorough report that was published in February 2007. Paoletta served as the President’s Assistant Counsel during the George H. W. Bush administration, where he was instrumental in ensuring Clarence Thomas’ successful confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court.