Daughter of close Obama adviser will cover DOJ for CNN
CNN has tapped the daughter of President Obama’s closest adviser to cover the Department of Justice, The Post has learned.
Laura Jarrett quietly joined the network in September as a reporter in its Washington bureau.
She came to CNN with no experience in journalism. But the Harvard-educated lawyer defended companies and individuals against the Justice Department as a private litigator in Chicago.
Laura married fellow Harvard Law grad Tony Balkissoon in 2012 at a Chicago ceremony attended by Obama, her mom’s boss.
Related Video 1:07 Trump tangles with CNN during press conference
Valerie and Laura Jarrett were partying Wednesday night at a launch party for the news site Axios, held in the middle of inauguration week at RPM Italian in Washington.
Asked about her post-White House plans, Valerie Jarrett said she’ll split time between Chicago and Washington, DC, but first she plans to go on vacation.
Others spotted at the party include Vice President Joe Biden, Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway, CNN’s Jeff Zucker, Jake Tapper and Wolf Blitzer, MSNBC’s Greta van Susteren, Fox News’ Kristin Fisher and the Washington Post’s Bob Woodward.
Laura Jarrett’s assignment comes a week after Trump publicly refused to answer a CNN correspondent’s question at a press conference.
“You are fake news,” Trump said to CNN’s Jim Acosta.