Jonathan Meyer

Early life and education

Originally from Cincinnati, Meyer attended Walnut Hills High School. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard University, a Juris Doctor from the Columbia University School of Law, and a Masters in Public Affairs from Princeton University. He later served as a special deputy general counsel of Amtrak, before reprising his role at the DOJ at the beginning of the presidency of Barack Obama. He then joined the law firm Sheppard Mullin as a partner, where he worked until 2021. Following the 2020 Election, then-President-elect Joe Biden appointed Meyer to co-lead the DHS Agency Review Team as a part of the presidential transition.

General counsel of Homeland Security

On April 12, 2021, President Joe Biden announced Meyer as the nominee to be the Department of Homeland Security general counsel. On April 29, 2021, his nomination was formally received by the United States Senate and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs. Cloture was invoked on Meyer's nomination on September 29, 2021, by a vote of 52-46 and he was confirmed by the United States Senate on October 4, 2021, by a vote of 51–47. He was sworn in on October 6, 2021, by Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

Support and opposition Meyer is the only General Counsel of DHS to have worked at the department prior to his nomination. He was endorsed for confirmation by four of the five prior DHS General Counsels, two Democrats and two Republicans. The article also highlighted Meyer's financial disclosure, placing him in the category of making more than $500,000 per year as a partner in private practice, having represented clients such as Deloitte and Salesforce. His disclosure included a "confidential client whom he did not identify because the individual was subject to a non-public investigation." The Revolving Door Project, operated by the progressive Center for Economic and Policy Research, claimed that Meyer represented numerous military contractors, as well.

Republican Senator Rob Portman claimed Meyer was slow and not forthcoming in his responses to members of Congress during his time in the Obama administration. Democratic Senator Gary Peters, however, rebutted this, saying Meyer "has demonstrated that he understands the complex legal issues facing DHS and the importance of ensuring that the Department cooperates with Congressional oversight." Portman later issued a statement saying he had a secured a commitment from Meyer "that he would provide complete and timely materials requested by the Committee for oversight purposes." Both Senators ultimately voted for Meyer's confirmation. In September 2024, Meyer left the Department and, in October 2024, return to the Sheppard Mullin law firm where he heads its national security law practice.

Personal life

Meyer lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland with his wife and three children. He is an "avid fan" of the Cincinnati Reds and Bengals.