David French (Tennessee)
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| David French | |||
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| Basic facts | |||
| Organization: | National Review | ||
| Role: | Journalist | ||
| Location: | Tennessee | ||
| Expertise: | Law | ||
| Education: | Harvard Law School (J.D., 1994) | ||
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David French is an attorney as well as a journalist for National Review. He is a veteran of the U.S. Army and served in Iraq.
He co-wrote Rise of ISIS, A Threat We Can't Ignore with Jay Sekulow and Robert Ash, which came out in 2015.
On May 31, 2016, Bloomberg reported that French was the potential candidate Bill Kristol had in mind to recruit for an independent presidential run, something Kristol had been teasing in recent days on social media.[1]
Career
David French graduated from Harvard Law School in 1994.[2] Several years later, French became a lecturer at Cornell Law School.[3] He was also a partner at the law firm of Greenebaum, Doll and McDonald.[4]
In 2000, French began serving as counsel for the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, focusing on religious freedom. At the same time, French worked pro bono with the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education's Legal Network (FIRE). He was the lead attorney in a successful case defending freedom of religion at Tufts University, and also successfully challenged a speech code as being unconstitutional at Shippensburg University.[4] In 2004, French was appointed as president of FIRE.[3]
In 2007, French began a tour of duty in Iraq with the U.S. Army. He served as Squadron Judge Advocate for the Second Squadron, Third Armored Cavalry Regiment.[5] He was stationed in Diyala Province and completed his tour in 2008; he received a Bronze Star for his service.[3]
He also served as senior counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice in Washington, D.C.[6] French is a staff writer for National Review, writing on politics, social issues, religion, and military affairs.[3]
French co-wrote Rise of ISIS, A Threat We Can't Ignore with Jay Sekulow and Robert Ash, which came out in 2015.[7]
2016 presidential election
- See also: Presidential election, 2016
An article from Bloomberg on May 31, 2016, reported that Bill Kristol, the editor of the Weekly Standard, had French "in mind" for a potential independent presidential run in 2016 against Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. According to the Bloomberg article, Kristol wrote in the June 6 edition of the Weekly Standard, "the fact of Trump's and Clinton's unfitness for the Oval Office has become so self-evident that it's no longer clear one needs a famous figure to provide an alternative." Of French, he is reported to have written, "to say that he would be a better and a more responsible president than Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump is to state a truth that would become self-evident as more Americans got to know him."[1] On May 29, 2016, Kristol mentioned the likelihood of an independent candidate in the race on Twitter, saying, "Just a heads up over this holiday weekend: There will be an independent candidate--an impressive one, with a strong team and a real chance."[8]
Kristol was considered a key player in the NeverTrump movement.[9]
Bloomberg stated in its article that it had contacted French about a possible independent run but that he declined to respond to questions about the 2016 presidential race. The article noted that French had not "lined up a vice-presidential running mate or significant financial support."[1] For more on independent campaigns in the 2016 presidential race, see Is there an independent alternative to Trump? and Filing deadlines and signature requirements for independent presidential candidates, 2016.
Noteworthy events
John Doe investigations
Two John Doe investigations, beginning in 2010 and ending in 2015, were launched by Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm (D) into the activities of staff and associates of Gov. Scott Walker (R).[10] French covered the John Doe investigations for National Review, writing a series of articles exploring the players and events surrounding the investigations. In April 2015, he wrote his first piece entitled "Wisconsin’s Shame: 'I Thought It Was a Home Invasion,'" which, coupled with the fact Walker launched a presidential bid, catapulted the story onto the national media stage. By interviewing the targets of the raids and describing their version of events in detail, French's article humanized a story that had previously played out in the media as a politically-fueled campaign finance skirmish. As a result, many national conservative media outlets, including Fox News and TheBlaze, picked up the story.[11]
Media
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms David French National Review. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Bloomberg, "Kristol Eyes Conservative Lawyer David French for Independent Presidential Run," May 31, 2016
- ↑ Harvard Law Today, "French and Feldman mine Supreme Court’s decision in Martinez religion case," September 15, 2010
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 National Review, "David French," accessed September 24, 2015
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 FIRE, "FIRE Names David A. French as President," June 1, 2004
- ↑ Simon and Schuster, "David French," accessed September 24, 2015
- ↑ ACLJ, "David French," accessed September 24, 2015
- ↑ Simon and Schuster, "Rise of ISIS, A Threat We Can't Ignore," accessed September 24, 2015
- ↑ Bill Kristol's Twitter account, May 29, 2016
- ↑ Weekly Standard, "Kristol Explains 'Never Trump' Argument," March 19, 2016
- ↑ United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin Milwaukee Division, "Eric O’Keefe, and Wisconsin Club for Growth, Inc.," accessed February 23, 2015
- ↑ National Review, "Wisconsin’s Shame: ‘I Thought It Was a Home Invasion,'" April 20, 2015
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