Our practice

Government & Media Relations

Schedule a Consultation

Strategic counsel when a legal matter reaches Capitol Hill, the executive branch, or the national press.

Some legal matters are not resolved solely in a courtroom or an agency proceeding. When a client’s situation draws the attention of Congress, senior government officials, or the press, how the matter is presented—and to whom, and when—can be as consequential as the underlying legal issues.

Compass Rose Legal Group helps clients engage these audiences deliberately, lawfully, and in a way that protects their legal position. The firm’s founder, Andrew P. Bakaj, has represented whistleblowers and other clients in some of the most closely watched national security matters of the past decade, working directly with congressional committees, senior executive branch officials, and national media.

Engaging Congress

Bringing information to Congress—or responding when Congress comes calling—requires knowing which committees have jurisdiction, how to reach the right Members and staff, and how to do so without forfeiting legal protections or mishandling sensitive information. We advise and assist clients by:

  • Identifying the appropriate committees, Members, and staff, on both sides of the aisle;
  • Making whistleblower disclosures to Congress through lawful channels that preserve the client’s protections;
  • Preparing correspondence to committee leadership and briefing committee staff, including unclassified briefings on sensitive matters;
  • Preparing clients for meetings, transcribed interviews, and testimony; and
  • Coordinating congressional engagement with any parallel legal, Inspector General, or agency proceedings.

Andrew Bakaj previously served on the staffs of three United States Senators and, while at the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, briefed both congressional intelligence committees. In private practice, he has corresponded with and briefed congressional committees on behalf of clients in numerous high-profile matters. For matters in which a client is the subject of congressional scrutiny, see our Congressional Investigations page.

Senior Partner I. Charles McCullough III brings the perspective of a senior official who answered to Congress. As the first Senate-confirmed Inspector General of the Intelligence Community, he reported to and testified before Congress, including as the lead witness at a 2014 Senate hearing on the joint Inspectors General review of the Boston Marathon bombing.

Engaging the Executive Branch

Effective advocacy often requires direct engagement with agency leadership, general counsels, Inspectors General, and other senior officials. We prepare and deliver formal correspondence, press agencies to meet their legal obligations, and escalate matters when those obligations are not met. Our work has included correspondence with the Director of National Intelligence, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence’s General Counsel, and the Counsel to the President on matters involving the protection of whistleblowers and the handling of their disclosures.

Media Relations

Media attention can help a client—or seriously harm one. Statements made to the press can affect legal claims, reveal a whistleblower’s identity, disclose protected information, or invite retaliation. We help clients decide whether, when, and how to engage, and we frequently serve as the client’s public voice so that the client does not have to.

  • Serving as spokesperson for clients, including whistleblowers whose identities must remain confidential;
  • Preparing public statements and responding to media inquiries;
  • Aligning public communications with the client’s legal and congressional strategy; and
  • Responding to misinformation and to public speculation about a client’s identity or motives.

Andrew Bakaj has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, and other national networks, and his work has been reported by outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, the Associated Press, NPR, the BBC, and The Guardian. He has written opinion pieces for The New York Times and The Washington Post on whistleblower protections and government oversight.

Representative Matters

Publicly reported matters in which Andrew Bakaj has represented clients include:

  • The Intelligence Community Whistleblower (2019). Lead counsel to the whistleblower whose disclosure led to the 2019 impeachment inquiry, including direct engagement with the House and Senate intelligence committees and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. View related documents.
  • The Facebook Whistleblower (2021). Counsel to Frances Haugen in connection with her disclosures to U.S. government agencies and her testimony before Congress and European legislative bodies.
  • Department of Homeland Security (2020). Counsel to Brian Murphy, the former head of DHS’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis, in connection with his whistleblower complaint to Congress.
  • Department of Defense (2020–2022). Counsel to then-Lieutenant Colonel Yevgeny (Eugene) Vindman in his whistleblower reprisal complaint, which the Department of Defense Inspector General substantiated in part.
  • National Labor Relations Board (2025). Counsel to an NLRB information technology staffer whose disclosure to Congress raised concerns about potential exposure of sensitive agency data.
  • Intelligence Community (2025–2026). Counsel to an Intelligence Community whistleblower in efforts to ensure that a complaint reached the congressional intelligence committees as the law requires.

If your matter is drawing, or may soon draw, the attention of Congress, government officials, or the press, contact Compass Rose Legal Group before you engage.