David M. Barrett has been practicing law in Washington, D.C. since 1975, specializing in litigation and administrative, agency, and legislative law. His diverse career has involved military service in the U.S. Navy and he has served as Independent Counsel for the United States, Special Counsel to the United States House of Representatives, Presidential Committees, United States Attorney’s Office, legal instructor, private practice and Boards of numerous corporate entities. David Barrett was a special prosecutor

Special prosecutor

A special prosecutor generally is a lawyer from outside the government appointed by an attorney general or, in the United States, by Congress to investigate a government official for misconduct while in office. A reasoning for such an appointment is that the governmental branch or agency may have...

 assigned to investigate the long-running Henry Cisneros payments controversy

Henry Cisneros payments controversy

The Henry Cisneros payments controversy was a lengthy investigation begun in 1995 into allegations that Henry Cisneros, United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development during the Presidency of Bill Clinton, had lied to the FBI background check investigators about payments he had made to...

. He was noted for objecting to Clinton administration interference. In 2006, after the investigation's conclusion, he returned to his previous practice. Barrett is the recipient of one of the highest awards bestowed on a civilian by The Federal Bureau of Investigation – The Thomas Jefferson Award. The inscription on that award reads: “To David M Barrett with respect and gratitude for your service to the nation, perseverance, and dedication to duty from your colleagues at the Federal Bureau of Investigation” signed Louis B. Freeh

Louis Freeh

Louis Joseph Freeh was the 5th Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, serving from September 1993 to June 2001....

, Director.

Early life and education

Barrett was born in Buffalo, New York

Buffalo, New York

Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...

 and raised in South Bend, Indiana the son of a Notre Dame law professor. Barrett earned a B.A. Degree in English from the University of Notre Dame and a J.D. Degree from the Georgetown University Law Center. He attended both schools on academic scholarships and graduated from both with Honors. While attending Georgetown, Barrett served an Editor of the Law Review.

Military service

From 1959-1962, between undergraduate and law degrees, Barrett was a member of the United States Navy, having received a commission in the regular Navy. He spent over 3 years aboard ships of the Atlantic Fleet and served as navigator on the staff of Commander Amphibious Squadron Four. Barrett was honorably discharged from the Navy with the rank of Lieutenant.

Career

In the years following Georgetown Law School, Barrett served as law clerk to the Honorable William B. Jones of the United States District Court for The District of Columbia. Barrett then joined the faculty of the University of Notre Dame Law School. In 1969-69 he served as County Attorney for Saint Joseph County, Indiana.

Barrett moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1969 where over the next several years he served as Vice President and General Counsel of The William K. Warren Foundation, one of the largest private foundations in the United States. He also was Vice President and General Counsel of Warren American Oil Company. From 1971-1979 he served as a Director of The American Bank of Tulsa and was one of the original incorporators of that bank.

Barrett also served on the Boards of the Children’s Medical Center and The Vianney School for Girls in Tulsa.
In 1975 Barrett returned to Washington D.C. and established a private practice at Barrett and Schuler and predecessor firms. As Managing Partner, Barrett specialized in litigation and administrative and legislative law. Over a number of years he has represented a variety of domestic and international clients.

In 1976, Barrett was appointed by President Gerald Ford to serve on the President’s Committee on Mental Retardation, a capacity he served until 1980. Barrett has also served as a member of the National Center for Law and the Handicapped.

In 1978-1979, he was retained by the United States House of Representatives as Special Counsel to the House of Representatives Committee on Standards of Official Conduct (Ethics Committee) in a sensitive matter involving one of the most senior members of the House of Representatives, Congressman Daniel Flood, regarding allegations of bribery and related offenses. Barrett completed a lengthy investigation resulting in Congressman Flood resigning from the House of Representatives. Barrett was commended by the Ethics Committee for his fairness and professionalism.

In 1995, three Judges of The United States Supreme Court of Appeals, appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (the Special Division), appointed Barrett as Independent Counsel for The United States to investigate allegations that Henry Cisneros

Henry Cisneros payments controversy

The Henry Cisneros payments controversy was a lengthy investigation begun in 1995 into allegations that Henry Cisneros, United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development during the Presidency of Bill Clinton, had lied to the FBI background check investigators about payments he had made to...

had lied to FBI investigators during background checks prior to being named Secretary of HUD.