Gregory Korte

USA TODAY

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS: A previous version of this story mischaracterized Klain's former firm. O'Melveny & Myers is a Los Angeles law firm with an office in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON — President Obama's new Ebola "czar," Ron Klain, has an extensive résumé at the top levels of politics and government — if not in battling infectious diseases.

He was the chief of staff for two vice presidents, Joe Biden and Al Gore, and one attorney general, Janet Reno. He served as a senior White House aide to President Obama.

After leaving the White House for the private sector in 2011, Klain became a partner in the Washington office of the Los Angeles law firm of O'Melveny & Myers. He was not currently registered as a lobbyist, which means the White House ban on hiring lobbyists doesn't apply.

He's president of Case Holdings, which manages the assets of AOL founder Steve Case, and general counsel of Case's venture capital firm, Revolution.

Case said Klain would take a leave of absence and planned to return to his company. "Ron is a talented manager and a wise counselor who understands government, business and the non-profit sectors," Case said in a statement. "We look forward to welcoming him back soon."

As Biden's chief of staff, Klain had a key role in implementing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and signed off on one of its most controversial projects: a $535 million loan guarantee to solar panel maker Solyndra.

"Sounds like there are some risk factors here — but that's true of any innovative company that POTUS would visit," Klain wrote to Department of Energy officials May 24, 2010, a day before Obama visited a company factory. "It looks like it is OK to me, but if you feel otherwise, let me know."

Earlier in his career, he served as the staff director of the Senate Democratic Leadership Committee and chief counsel of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

"I've known Ron Klain for over 20 years. He is smart, aggressive and levelheaded; exactly the qualities we need in a czar to steer our response to Ebola. He is an excellent choice," said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., in a statement.

Klain served as the top lawyer on the Gore-Lieberman Recount Committee after the 2000 election and was portrayed by actor Kevin Spacey in the 2008 film Recount.

He is a graduate of Georgetown University and Harvard Law School. He served as a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Byron White.



He is married to Monica Medina, an environmental lawyer at the National Geographic Society who previously headed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the Obama Administration. They have three children.

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