Steven G. Bradbury

For other people named Steven Bradbury, see Steven Bradbury (disambiguation).

Steven G. Bradbury
United States Secretary of Transportation
Acting
In office
January 12, 2021 – January 20, 2021
PresidentDonald Trump
Preceded byElaine Chao
Succeeded byLana Hurdle (acting)
United States Deputy Secretary of Transportation
Acting[a]
In office
September 10, 2019 – January 20, 2021
PresidentDonald Trump
Preceded byJeffrey A. Rosen
Succeeded byPolly Trottenberg
General Counsel of the United States Department of Transportation
In office
November 28, 2017 – January 20, 2021
PresidentDonald Trump
Preceded byKathryn Thomson
Succeeded byJohn Putnam (acting)
United States Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel
Acting
In office
February 1, 2005 – January 20, 2009
PresidentGeorge W. Bush
Preceded byDaniel Levin (acting)
Succeeded byDavid J. Barron (acting)
Personal details
Born
Steven Dean Bradbury

(1958-09-12) September 12, 1958 (age 66)
Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Hilde Kahn
​
(m. 1988)​
EducationStanford University (BA)
University of Michigan (JD)
AwardsSecretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service

Steven Gill Bradbury[1][2] (born September 12, 1958) is an American lawyer and government official who served as the General Counsel of the United States Department of Transportation.[3] He previously served as Acting Assistant Attorney General from 2005 to 2007[4] and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General from 2004 to 2009,[5]: 132  heading the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) in the U.S. Department of Justice during President George W. Bush's second term.

During his tenure in OLC, he authored a number of significant classified opinions providing legal authorization for waterboarding[6] and other so-called "enhanced interrogation techniques", a euphemism for torture.[7] Bradbury was nominated to be the Assistant Attorney General for OLC but individual Democratic Senators put holds on his nomination, preventing the full Senate from voting on it, and Democratic leaders in the Senate instituted pro forma sessions of the Senate during scheduled recesses to prevent the President from giving him a recess appointment.[8][9] Bradbury continued to serve as the acting chief of OLC until the end of the Bush Administration on January 20, 2009.

Prior to becoming General Counsel of the Department of Transportation, Bradbury was a partner at the Washington D.C. office of Dechert LLP.[10][11] In June 2017, he was nominated by President Donald Trump to become General Counsel of the United States Department of Transportation.[12] On November 14, 2017, Bradbury was confirmed by the Senate by a vote of 50–47 for the position.[13][14] On September 10, 2019, he was further authorized to perform the functions and duties of the Office of the Deputy Secretary of Transportation as the Acting Deputy Secretary.[15][16] On December 21, 2020, his official title was changed to remove the "acting" designation, but with him continuing to perform the duties of the position.[17]

On January 7, 2021, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao submitted her resignation to President Donald Trump due to the 2021 United States Capitol attack.[18] As the official performing the functions and duties of the Office of the Deputy Secretary of Transportation, Bradbury became the acting Secretary of Transportation as of January 12, 2021.[19] He remained in office until the change of administration on January 20, 2021.

Since December 2022, Bradbury has been a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation and contributor to Project 2025.[20]


Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference questionnaire was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Nomination was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Steven G. Bradbury". United States Department of Transportation. November 30, 2017. Archived from the original on December 20, 2017. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
  4. ^ Kepplinger, Gary L. (June 13, 2008). Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998-Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel, U.S. Department of Justice (Report). Government Accountability Office. Archived from the original on April 13, 2019. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
  5. ^ Department of Justice Office of Professional Responsibility (July 29, 2009). Investigation into the Office of Legal Counsel's Memoranda Concerning Issues Relating to the Central Intelligence Agency's Use of "Enhanced Interrogation Techniques" on Suspected Terrorists (PDF) (Report). United States Department of Justice. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 26, 2020. Retrieved May 29, 2017 – via aclu.org.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference rough was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Shenon, Philip; Lichtblau, Eric (January 24, 2008). "Justice Nomination Seen as Snub to Democrats". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 7, 2018. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
  8. ^ Barrett, Ted; Kilaru, Vandana (December 26, 2007). "Webb opens, closes vacant Senate session". CNN. Archived from the original on October 26, 2019. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
  9. ^ Miller, Greg; Schmitt, Richard B. (October 6, 2007). "CIA doesn't use torture, Bush says". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 26, 2017. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
  10. ^ "Steven G. Bradbury". Dechert. n.d. Archived from the original on March 4, 2018. Retrieved December 26, 2015.
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference Intelligencer was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Morin, Rebecca (June 5, 2017). "'Torture memo' author nominated for Trump administration post". Politico. Archived from the original on June 6, 2017. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
  13. ^ Schor, Elana; Gardner, Lauren (November 14, 2017). "Senate confirms Bradbury after fight over 'torture memos'". Politico. Archived from the original on November 15, 2017. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
  14. ^ Zanona, Melanie (November 14, 2017). "Senate confirms 'torture memo' author to lead Transportation Dept legal office". The Hill. Archived from the original on November 15, 2017. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
  15. ^ "Steven G. Bradbury General Counsel". U.S. Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on January 9, 2021. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  16. ^ "Meet Key Officials". U.S. Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on September 16, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  17. ^ "Meet Key Officials". U.S. Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on December 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  18. ^ Duncan, Ian; Laris, Michael; Dawsey, Josh (January 7, 2021). "Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao resigns, saying she is 'deeply troubled' by violence at the Capitol". The New York Times. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  19. ^ "Steven G. Bradbury Acting Secretary of Transportation". U.S. Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
  20. ^ Ward, Ian (August 2, 2024). "It Was Supposed to Be Trump's Administration in Waiting. But Project 2025 Was a Mirage All Along". Politico. Retrieved August 8, 2024.