Christopher Fonzone, general counsel at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence since June 2021, has been confirmed as the assistant attorney general in charge of the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel.
“His confirmation is well deserved, albeit bittersweet for those of us in the Intelligence Community because it means he no longer will serve as ODNI’s General Counsel,” Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said in a statement published Tuesday.
As ODNI’s chief legal officer, Fonzone oversees and coordinates legal issues across the intelligence community.
“We have depended on Chris time and time again for timely, practical, and sound counsel on some of the toughest questions facing the country and I am incredibly heartened to know that his exceptional judgment will now be relied upon by the Attorney General in this incredibly important position,” Haines, a three-time Wash100 awardee, said.
Before joining the IC, he was a partner within the privacy and cybersecurity group at global law firm Sidley Austin, where he focused on legal issues related to cyber and information technology.
He also served as deputy assistant and deputy counsel to the president and legal adviser to the National Security Council during the Obama administration from 2013 to 2017.
