Charles Ruff

Chuck Ruff redirects here. For the rock drummer, see Chuck Ruff (musician).

Charles Frederick Carson "Chuck" Ruff (August 1, 1939 – November 19, 2000) was a prominent American lawyer based in Washington, D.C., and was well-noted as White House Counsel, defending President Bill Clinton during his impeachment trial in 1999 over Lewinsky scandal and Paula Jones case .

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Ruff was a graduate of Phillips Academy, Swarthmore College, and Columbia Law School (1963). After graduating from Columbia Law School, he and his wife, Susan, went to teach law in Liberia. While there, Ruff came down with a mysterious flu-like illness that paralysed his legs. He used a wheelchair every since that time.^[1] During his career he worked in the United States Department of Justice; during the Watergate scandal, he served as a special prosecutor who investigated President Richard Nixon. He was the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia for some time, and was legal counsel to Bill Clinton.

He represented Anita Hill during Clarence Thomas's Supreme Court confirmation hearings.

He defended United States Senator Chuck Robb against charges of surreptitiously and unlawfully recording, and disseminating, some private conversations of a political rival, Governor of Virginia Douglas Wilder.

When Ruff died from a heart attack at 61, he was a partner at the law firm of Covington & Burling. His mother was the prominent American publicist Margaret Carson.

On January 8, 2001, he was presented, posthumously, with the Presidential Citizens Medal by President Clinton.

Sources

• NNDB
• The White House - Office of the Press Secretary

References

1. ^ http://www.tampagov.net/dept_mayor/mayors_alliance/famous_persons/people_M_thru_R.aspFamous Persons with Disabilities

• Defense Who's Who, Washington Post, January 19, 1999
• Legends in the Law, District of Columbia Bar
• New York Times obituary
• ABC News Charles Ruff Dead at 61, Nov. 20

Legal offices
Preceded by Jack Quinn	White House Counsel 1998-1999	Succeeded by Beth Nolan

Persondata
Name	Ruff, Charles
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Date of birth	August 1, 1939
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Date of death	November 19, 2000
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