Jones Day partner Eric Dreiband, President Donald Trump's pick to lead the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, pulled in more than $2.2 million combined between his partnership share and bonus from 2016 to date, according to his financial disclosure form.
Trump nominated Dreiband June 29, though the Senate Judiciary Committee has yet to schedule a hearing. Civil rights groups criticized Dreiband's nomination, citing his work in private practice defending large companies from discrimination lawsuits. Dreiband's disclosure form lists 36 Jones Day clients, including Trump's presidential campaign, Donald J. Trump for President Inc. Dreiband's disclosure shows he earned $2,206,078 between his partnership share and bonus.
According to a July 7 ethics agreement, Dreiband will resign from Jones Day once confirmed by the U.S. Senate. He also agreed to recuse himself from any DOJ matters involving Jones Day clients for one year and will recuse himself from matters involving his own former clients for at least one year after he last worked with them. Both restrictions can be overcome with waivers.
Many of Dreiband's clients are already known since he often represents large companies in public discrimination battles. They include Abercrombie & Fitch, whom he represented during its 2014 U.S. Supreme Court battle against the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The company had refused to hire a Muslim woman because she wore a hijab that did not comply with the retailer's dress code. The high court ruled against Abercrombie.
Dreiband also represented the University of North Carolina in a DOJ lawsuit against the state's so-called "bathroom bill," tobacco company R.J. Reynolds in an age discrimination suit, Bloomberg LP in a pregnancy discrimination case and The Washington Post in an age and race discrimination suit.
Other clients listed in the disclosure include Bridgewater Associates, CVS Health Corp., CareerBuilder, McDonald's, Verizon Wireless and Verizon Communications, BNSF Railway, Groupon Inc. and United States Steel Corp.
Jones Day will pay Dreiband a lump sum payment of his capital account and a final partnership share payment after he resigns from the firm, according to the agreement. The firm plans to withhold a portion of Dreiband's partnership share for up to seven years as a "reserve for account reconciliations and tax payments that the firm makes on behalf of its partners."