Department of Energy veteran Theodore Garrish has become the agency’s acting general counsel — a position he has held before.
Garrish, whose name appeared without announcement in the general counsel spot on a Department of Energy organization chart, was already the agency’s assistant secretary for international affairs. The Senate confirmed him for the post in April.
It was not clear Tuesday whether Garrish remained assistant secretary for international affairs, or when exactly he became acting general counsel. The Energy Department did not respond to requests for comment, but a source said Garrish became general counsel Thursday.
To become the full-time general counsel, Garrish would have to be confirmed by the Senate again. The Donald Trump administration had not nominated him for the post at deadline Tuesday for Weapons Complex Morning Briefing. Garrish was DOE’s general counsel for two years during the Reagan administration.
There has not been a permanent DOE general counsel so far in the Trump administration. The White House nominated David Jonas for the post in January, but Jonas withdrew from consideration after running into opposition in the Senate.
Prior to Garrish, John Lucas was DOE’s acting general counsel. Lucas is still DOE’s deputy general counsel for transactions, technology, and contractor human resources; he had to step down as acting general counsel last year because federal law limits how long an interim appointee may serve in a job that requires Senate confirmation.
