John Podesta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Podesta
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Podesta in 2024
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| Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy | |
| In office March 6, 2024 – January 20, 2025 |
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| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | John Kerry (U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate) |
| Senior Advisor to the President for Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation | |
| In office September 2, 2022 – January 20, 2025 Serving with Steve Benjamin, Tom Perez, Annie Tomasini, Karine Jean-Pierre
and Ben LaBolt and Mike Donilon, Anita Dunn, Gene Sperling, Mitch Landrieu, Neera Tanden, Julie Rodriguez & Keisha Lance Bottoms |
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| President | Joe Biden |
| Deputy | Kristina Costa |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Counselor to the President | |
| In office January 1, 2014 – February 13, 2015 |
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| President | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Pete Rouse |
| Succeeded by | Kellyanne Conway |
| 20th White House Chief of Staff | |
| In office October 20, 1998 – January 20, 2001 |
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| President | Bill Clinton |
| Deputy | Steve Ricchetti Maria Echaveste |
| Preceded by | Erskine Bowles |
| Succeeded by | Andy Card |
| White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations | |
| In office January 20, 1997 – October 20, 1998 |
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| President | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | Evelyn Lieberman |
| Succeeded by | Steve Ricchetti |
| White House Staff Secretary | |
| In office January 20, 1993 – June 30, 1995 |
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| President | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | Phillip Brady |
| Succeeded by | Todd Stern |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
John David Podesta Jr.
January 8, 1949 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Mary Podesta
(m. 1978) |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Tony Podesta (brother) |
| Education | Knox College (BA) Georgetown University (JD) |
John David Podesta Jr. (born January 8, 1949) is an American political consultant. He has held several important roles in the United States government. From 2024 to 2025, he served as the Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy. Before that, he was the Senior Advisor to the President for Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation from 2022 to 2024.
Podesta also served as White House chief of staff for President Bill Clinton from 1998 to 2001. Later, he was a counselor to President Barack Obama from 2014 to 2015. In the Clinton administration, he also worked as the White House staff secretary and White House deputy chief of staff.
He is a former president and current chair of the Center for American Progress (CAP). This is a think tank in Washington, D.C. He also taught law at Georgetown University Law Center. Podesta was the chairman of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. He also helped lead the team that prepared for President Obama's transition into office.
As a senior advisor to President Joe Biden, Podesta helped manage a large investment in clean energy. This investment was part of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. In early 2024, he took over from John Kerry as the top U.S. climate diplomat.
Contents
Early Life and Education
John Podesta grew up in Jefferson Park, a neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois. His mother, Mary, was Greek-American, and his father, John Sr., was Italian-American. His brother, Tony Podesta, is a lobbyist. Even though his father did not finish high school, he strongly encouraged his children to go to college.
In 1967, Podesta graduated from Lane Tech High School in Chicago. He met Bill Clinton in 1970 while they were working on a political campaign in Connecticut. In 1971, he earned his degree from Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois. He then received his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1976.
Podesta started his career working for the Department of Justice. He also worked for ACTION, a federal volunteer agency. His political journey began in 1972, when he worked on a presidential campaign.
Career Highlights
Podesta held several important roles on Capitol Hill. He was a counselor to Senator Thomas Daschle and served as chief counsel for the Senate Agriculture Committee. He also worked on various subcommittees for the Senate Judiciary Committee.
In 1988, he and his brother Tony started a lobbying firm called Podesta Associates, Inc.. This firm, now known as the Podesta Group, works with government relations and public affairs. It has strong connections to the Democratic Party.
Working in the White House
Podesta served as an assistant to the president and as deputy chief of staff during the Clinton administration. From 1993 to 1995, he was the staff secretary and a senior advisor on government information and privacy. In 1998, he became President Clinton's White House chief of staff. He held this top position until Clinton's term ended in 2001. Podesta supported efforts to make millions of government documents public.
After the Clinton Years
In 2003, Podesta founded the Center for American Progress. This is a liberal think tank in Washington, D.C. He was its president and CEO until 2011. He still serves on its board of directors.
Podesta has taught many classes at Georgetown University Law Center. These classes covered topics like law, technology, and public interest law. In 2009, he traveled with Bill Clinton to North Korea. They went there to help secure the release of two American journalists.
Podesta believes that the government should not keep too many things secret. He has spoken out against "excessive government secrecy." He praised a rule that helped declassify many historical documents. More than 800 million pages of intelligence documents were made public because of this program.
Podesta has also supported making government files about UFOs public. He believes that scientists should have access to this information. He wrote the introduction for a book by Leslie Kean called "UFOs- Generals, Pilots, and Government Officials Go On The Record." This book shares stories from generals, pilots, and government officials about their experiences.
In 2022, President Joe Biden appointed Podesta as a senior advisor for clean energy. In this role, he managed a large climate investment from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. In 2024, he became the U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate.
Email Security Incident
On October 7, 2016, a website called WikiLeaks began publishing thousands of emails. These emails were reportedly taken from Podesta's private email account. Experts who investigated the incident, including a security firm called Secureworks, said that a Russian hacking group gained access to his account. They believed this happened through a method called phishing.
Podesta stated that Russian intelligence officials were behind the leak. He believed they were trying to influence the presidential election. The United States Intelligence Community also released a statement. It directly accused Russian intelligence of being involved.
Personal Life
John Podesta is Catholic. He has worked with groups like Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good. He married Mary Podesta, a lawyer, in 1978. They have three children together. His daughter, Megan Rouse, was the president of a school board in California. Podesta also enjoys cooking.
See also
In Spanish: John Podesta para niños
