State Department Lawyer Who Drafted Patriot Act is New Facebook GC
Facebook announced that it’s bringing in a new general counsel as it tries to rebuild its image following a year filled with scandals, according to a CNBC report.
Jennifer Newstead, legal adviser to the U.S. State Department, is joining the company as its general counsel, replacing Colin Stretch, who said last year that he would be departing.
“Newstead brings some controversy with her,” writes CNBC’s Ari Levy. “As part of the George W. Bush administration in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Newstead helped draft the Patriot Act, which granted law enforcement agencies greater surveillance power over ordinary Americans.”