People in the news

Robert S. Rivkin

Department of Transportation General Counsel (since April 2009)

(Aon Corp.)

Why He Matters

Adding another member to the long list of Chicagoans in the Obama administration, Rivkin comes aboard the Department of Transportation (DOT) as its chief legal counsel. He'll also be a close adviser to Secretary of Transportation Raymond H. Lahood.

Rivkin, whose father worked in government as an U.S. ambassador from 1962 to 1967, has spent years as both a private lawyer and public servant. Early in the 2000s, Rivkin spent some time as the general counsel to the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), where he worked under current White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett when she served as CTA's chairwoman. While at the CTA, Rivkin helped obtain over $400 million in funding from the federal government to renovate the fastest-growing subway line in the Chicago area.

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At a Glance

  • Career History: Deputy general counsel for Aon Corp. (2004 to 2009); General counsel for the Chicago Transit Authority (2001 to 2004); Schiff, Hardin & Waite (1998 to 2001)
  • Hometown: Chicago, Ill.
  • Alma Mater: Harvard University, B.A., 1982; Stanford University, J.D., 1987
  • Spouse: Cindy Moelis
  • DC Office: 1200 New Jersey Ave SE; Phone: 202-366-4000
  • Web site
 

Path to Power

Rivkin grew up in Chicago, Ill. His father, William R. Rivkin, served in World War II as a U.S. Army colonel. In 1962, William Rivkin became the U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg, where he would serve until 1965, before becoming ambassador to Senegal and Gambia. While serving the U.S. in the African nations, William Rivkin died suddenly of a heart attack in 1967. Robert's mother, a former trustee to Columbia College in Chicago for 20 years, began funding an American Foreign Service Association award that honors those who display "constructive dissent" among Foreign Service officers.

The younger Rivkin attended Harvard University for undergraduate, earning a B.A. in 1982. A few years later, Rivkin went to Stanford University law school, where he gained degree in 1987. Rivkin then became a law clerk to Judge Joel M. Flaum of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, where he stayed until 1988.

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The Issues

In February 2009, Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which was the technical name for the $787 billion economic stimulus bill. This legislation allocated over $48 billion to the Department of Transportation (DOT) for various projects, including more than $27 billion for highway improvements and $8 billion for the creation of more high-speed rails across the U.S.

Rivkin will advise the DOT on legal issues that arise when distributing stimulus funds for various projects across the nation. He'll have to work with DOT agencies like the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Railroad Administration to assure the correct parties receive the money allotted to them, and that the funds are being used correctly. Rivkin also advises the transportation secretary as Lahood decides how best to use the federal funds.

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The Network

Rivkin hails from the same Chicago circle as many of Obama's advisers and confidantes. In 2001, White House adviser Valerie Jarrett announced Rivkin as the Chicago Transport Authority's general counsel. Rivkin's wife, Cindy Moelis, worked as the executive director for the Pritzker Traubert Family Foundation. Penny Pritzker, the Obama's campaign's 2008 finance chair, is co-founder of the foundation. Moelis also earned a position in the Obama administration as the director for the Presidential Commission on White House Fellows.

During Rivkin's confirmation hearing, Senate Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) took the time to introduce the nominee to the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, even though Durbin doesn't serve on the committee.

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Campaign Contributions

Rivkin has donated over $16,000 since 1995, all of which has gone to Democratic candidates or the Aon Corp. political action committee. Over $10,000 of Rivkin's money has been given to support the political rise of Barack Obama. Rivkin first donated $500 to Obama in 1999, when the then-state senator was attempting his first run for national office in an Illinois congressional race. In 2008, Rivkin donated $2,300 to Obama's presidential campaign.

 

Additional Resources

  1. Mihalopoulos, Dan, "Brown Line set to get $530 million renovation," Chicago Tribune, April 14, 2004
  2. Sweet, Lynn, "Another Chicagoan, Cindy S. Moelis joins the Obama administration. Penny Pritzker (Obama finance chair) foundation executive director," The Chicago Tribune Online, April 21, 2009
  3. Center for Responsive Politics
  4. "Robert S. Rivkin Named CTA General Counsel," Chicago Transit Authority Press Release, April 4, 2001
  5. "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: Oversight Challenges Facing the Department of Transportation," Department of Transportation, March 31, 2009
  6. Janega, James, "Enid H. Long, 71," Chicago Tribune, Jan. 29, 2002
  7. "Cindy Moelis and Robert Rivkin Marry," New York Times, May 8, 1988
  8. Hilkevitch, Jon and Donato, Marla, "Some N. Siders rail at Brown Line rehab," Chicago Tribune, Sept. 3, 2001
  9. "Hearing of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (Part 2)," Federal News Service, April 22, 2009