Meta hires ex-Doge, Trump election lawyer Bill McGinley as lobbyist
Meta just brought on Bill McGinley—a well-known Republican lawyer and former Trump advisor—as its new lobbyist.
The company's clearly working to get closer to President Trump, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg meeting privately with him, adding Trump's friend Dana White to the board, and elevating Republican strategist Joel Kaplan to chief global affairs officer.
Why bother?
McGinley will be pushing Meta's interests in tech policy and international trade with key government players like the White House and Treasury.
For his work from July to December 2025, Meta paid his firm $120K.
It's a sign that Big Tech is getting serious about navigating politics in D.C.
Who is he?
McGinley has deep roots in Republican politics—he was Trump's Cabinet secretary during the first term, worked on the RNC's 2024 "election integrity" team, briefly served as White House counsel for Trump again in late 2024, then led DOGE's legal team before leaving early this year.
He's also spent time at top law firms like Patton Boggs and Jones Day.