Robert Barnett, a Washington, DC, lawyer and dealmaker who represented a number of the most notable political figures within the final half century, has died. He was 79.
His dying was confirmed to NCS by his spouse Rita Braver.
Described by Politico in 2017 as “Washington’s consummate insider,” Barnett helped advise and brokered ebook offers for figures ranging throughout the political spectrum — from the Clintons to the Bushes to the Obamas — in addition to TV contracts for a number of the most notable names in media.
He additionally labored on 10 nationwide presidential campaigns and sometimes took on a stand-in position for the opponents of candidates he was prepping. He performed the position of George H.W. Bush whereas prepping Democratic vice presidential nominee Geraldine Ferraro in 1984 and Michael Dukakis for the presidential debates in 1988, and practice-debated Bill Clinton greater than 20 occasions over the course of his profitable first presidential marketing campaign in 1992.
He additionally helped put together Hillary Clinton for her 2008 presidential major debates earlier than transferring on to assist her then-opponent, Barack Obama, after he received the nomination. Barnett returned to serving to Clinton’s marketing campaign throughout her 2016 presidential run, standing in as each Bernie Sanders within the Democratic major and Mike Pence in vice presidential debate prep with Tim Kaine.
He had been a accomplice at the legislation agency Williams & Connolly since 1978.
This is a growing story and will probably be up to date.