Douglas Emhoff, the husband of US vice president-elect Kamala Harris, has left his private law practice to focus on his role at the White House despite claiming he wouldn’t go into politics.
At the Law firm DLA Piper, he practiced law in intellectual property and technology and its media, sports, and entertainment sector, according to the firm’s website.
Asked what it would be like to be the first Second Gentleman in an interview last month, he had said, “I think it would be an incredible honour… I’m going to hopefully work on things like access to justice and access to opportunity and access to the American dream.”
When the Biden administration takes over, Emhoff will break new ground as America’s first second gentleman.
Emhoff has been on leave from his law firm DLA Piper since Kamala Harris joined the Biden ticket.
AP reports that Emhoff`s decision reflects the Biden administration’s focus on avoiding potential ethical issues, in sharp contrast with the current Trump administration.
Emhoff leaned into his political support role during the campaign and plans to continue that way.
Emhoff will also be the first-ever Jewish spouse in the long history of White House power couples.
“Doug, you’re going to have to learn what it means to be a barrier-breaker yourself in this job you’re about to take on,” President-elect Biden had said at his first joint appearance with Harris as his running mate.
Harris met Emhoff, an entertainment lawyer, on a blind date in 2013 and married a year later. Emhoff’s marriage to Harris is his second; he has children from his earlier marriage, now in their 20s.
On November 9, Harris tweeted a photo of herself and Emhoff taken on the night of the victory speech, to her 11 million followers saying “Meet the love of my life.”
“Love you Madam Vice President-elect!” Emhoff tweeted right back at her.
Emhoff’s social handle describes him as “dad, Kamala Harris hubby, lawyer, wannabe golfer, advocate for justice and equality”, in that order.
It turns out that it was Emhoff who filmed Harris calling Biden moments after the election victory, a video that Harris shared on social media.
The unprecedented role switch at the highest levels of US politics is drawing rousing applause. “This is what decent, honourable and honest people do: Vice President-elect Kamala Harris husband, Doug Emhoff, will leave his job as a partner with a high-profile law firm to focus on his role in the new Biden administration,” Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin tweeted.
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