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Official portrait, 2017

United States Deputy Secretary of Transportation Presumptive nominee
Assuming office TBD
President	Donald Trump (elect)
Succeeding	Polly Trottenberg
United States Secretary of Transportation
Acting
In office January 12, 2021 – January 20, 2021
President	Donald Trump
Preceded by	Elaine Chao
Succeeded by	Lana Hurdle (acting)
United States Deputy Secretary of Transportation
Acting
In office September 10, 2019 – January 20, 2021
President	Donald Trump
Preceded by	Jeffrey A. Rosen
Succeeded by	Polly Trottenberg
General Counsel of the United States Department of Transportation
In office November 28, 2017 – January 20, 2021
President	Donald Trump
Preceded by	Kathryn Thomson
Succeeded by	John Putnam (acting)
United States Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel
Acting
In office February 1, 2005 – January 20, 2009
President	George W. Bush
Preceded by	Daniel Levin (acting)
Succeeded by	David J. Barron (acting)

Personal details
Born	Steven Dean Bradbury (1958-09-12) September 12, 1958 (age 66) Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Hilde Kahn (m. 1988)
Education	Stanford University (BA) University of Michigan (JD)
Awards	Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service

Steven Gill Bradbury (born September 12, 1958) is an American lawyer and government official. He has held several important roles in the United States government. He served as the top lawyer, called the General Counsel, for the United States Department of Transportation during President Donald Trump's first term.

Before that, he was the Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC). This office gives legal advice to the President and other government agencies. He worked in this role during President President George W. Bush's second term. He is expected to be nominated again for Deputy Secretary of Transportation in President-elect Trump's next term.

Who is Steven G. Bradbury?
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Who is Steven G. Bradbury?

Steven G. Bradbury is a lawyer who has worked in high-level government jobs. He advises different parts of the government on legal matters. He has worked for both the Department of Justice and the Department of Transportation.

He was nominated to be the Assistant Attorney General for the OLC. However, some Senators delayed his nomination. This meant the full Senate could not vote on it. He continued to serve as the acting head of the OLC until the end of the Bush Administration in 2009.

Before joining the Department of Transportation, Bradbury was a partner at a law firm called Dechert LLP. In 2017, President Donald Trump nominated him to be the General Counsel for the Department of Transportation. The Senate approved his nomination later that year.

In 2019, he was also given the role of Acting Deputy Secretary of Transportation. When Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao resigned in 2021, Bradbury became the acting Secretary of Transportation for a short time. He held this position until the new presidential administration began.

Since 2022, Bradbury has been a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation. He also contributes to Project 2025, which plans for a future presidential transition.

Early Life and School Days

Steven Bradbury was born on September 12, 1958, in Portland, Oregon. He was the youngest of four children. His father passed away when Steven was very young. His mother worked hard to support the family.

He grew up in the Sunnyside neighborhood of Portland. He attended Washington High School. He was even the student body president in his final year. Steven was the first person in his family to go to college. He earned a bachelor's degree in English from Stanford University in 1980.

After college, he worked in publishing and as a legal assistant in New York. Later, he went to the University of Michigan Law School. He earned his law degree in 1988 with high honors. While there, he was an editor for the Michigan Law Review. In 1988, he married Hilde Kahn, who was also a law school classmate.

Starting His Legal Career

From 1988 to 1990, Bradbury worked as a lawyer at a firm called Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C. He then worked as a law clerk for a judge named James L. Buckley from 1990 to 1991. A law clerk helps a judge with legal research and writing.

After that, he worked as an Attorney-Adviser in the Office of Legal Counsel. From 1992 to 1993, he was a law clerk for Justice Clarence Thomas at the Supreme Court of the United States. This is a very important role, helping one of the highest judges in the country.

After his clerkship, Bradbury worked at another law firm, Kirkland & Ellis. He became a partner there. In his private law practice, he worked on cases involving business competition (antitrust), stock market rules (securities law), and other legal disputes.

Working at the Office of Legal Counsel

In 2004, Bradbury joined the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) as a top deputy. The OLC gives official legal advice to the President and the executive branch of the government. He became the Acting Assistant Attorney General for the OLC in 2005.

President George W. Bush nominated him to lead the OLC permanently. However, some Senators delayed his confirmation. They had concerns about legal advice he had given. This advice was related to how the government could question people during the War on Terror. It also involved government programs that collected information.

Because of these delays, the Senate never voted on his nomination. He continued to serve as the acting head of the OLC until President Bush's term ended in 2009.

Important Opinions and Awards

In 2004, Bradbury wrote a legal opinion stating that the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution protects an individual's right to own guns. This opinion was used in a major Supreme Court case.

In 2007, he approved an OLC opinion that supported giving social security benefits to the non-biological child of a same-sex couple.

While at the OLC, Bradbury received several awards. These included the Edmund J. Randolph Award for great service to the Department of Justice. He also received the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service.

Back to Private Law

After his time at the OLC, Bradbury returned to private law practice. He became a partner at the Dechert LLP law firm. He focused on areas like business competition law, government lawsuits, and general business disputes.

In 2012, he spoke before the Senate Judiciary Committee about a bill called the "Due Process Guarantee Act." During the 2012 presidential election, he advised Mitt Romney's campaign on national security law.

After some government surveillance programs became public in 2013, Bradbury spoke to Congress. He also wrote articles defending the National Security Agency's programs. While at Dechert, he represented Takata Corporation. This company was involved in discussions about recalling faulty airbags.

Helping the Department of Transportation

In 2017, President Donald Trump nominated Steven Bradbury to be the General Counsel for the United States Department of Transportation. Some human rights groups opposed his nomination. They cited his past legal opinions.

A Senator also tried to delay his nomination. However, the Senate Committee voted to move his nomination forward. In November 2017, the full Senate confirmed him for the position. Two Republican Senators voted against him, again citing his past involvement with certain legal opinions. He officially started his role in November 2017.

After the previous Deputy Secretary of Transportation left, President Trump chose Bradbury to also serve as the Acting Deputy Secretary. When Secretary Elaine Chao resigned in January 2021, Bradbury became the acting Secretary of Transportation for a few days. Another official, Lana Hurdle, took over as acting secretary on January 20, 2021.

Work at the Heritage Foundation

In December 2022, The Heritage Foundation announced that Bradbury would join them as a distinguished fellow. He is working on their "2025 Presidential Transition Project." This project helps plan for a new presidential administration.

Bradbury wrote a chapter for Project 2025's book, Mandate for Leadership. This chapter was about the Department of Transportation. He also teaches at their Presidential Administration Academy. His involvement with Project 2025 has been discussed because of his past legal opinions. He has also contributed to ideas that would change how the FBI and Justice Department operate.