David Woll has been sworn in as General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD).
In the first Trump administration, Woll served as a Deputy General Counsel at HUD, and was later appointed Principal Deputy Secretary for Community Planning & Development (CPD) for HUD. Before that, Woll served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in both the Eastern District of New York and the District of Columbia. Woll also previously served as a senior counsel in the Enforcement Division of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
“With this experience, Woll is well-positioned to lead HUD’s legal team and serve America’s most vulnerable citizens,” said @HUDgov on the Department’s official X account.
In early May, Woll’s nomination was advanced to a vote on the Senate floor by Sen. Tim Scott, Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee. Woll was confirmed by a Senate vote of 51-43.
Woll replaces Damon Smith, previous General Counsel at HUD and Biden administration appointee, who resigned from the role. Smith previously served as the Senior Counsel and Acting General Counsel at HUD during the Obama administration, where he provided legal and policy guidance on a range of programs and activities and set the Department’s litigation strategy and regulatory agenda.
HUD’s General Counsel serves as the chief legal advisor to the HUD Secretary and other principal staff, overseeing all legal matters related to Departmental programs and activities. This includes providing legal opinions, drafting regulations and legislation, and representing HUD in litigation. The General Counsel also leads the Departmental Enforcement Center, which focuses on resolving complex housing cases and ensuring compliance with HUD regulations.
Woll began his career working for the government in 1998 with the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), as Senior Counsel for the Division of Enforcement. He then moved onto the Department of Justice for seven years, serving as Counsel (on detail) for the Office of the Deputy Attorney General and Assistant U.S. Attorney for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
From 2009-2014, Woll worked as Assistant U.S. Attorney for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, enforcing federal laws, prosecuting criminal cases, and defending the U.S. in civil litigation. There, Woll investigated cases, drafted legal documents, appeared in court for various proceedings, and handled appeals.
In 2017, Woll joined HUD under President Trump’s first administration, as Deputy General Counsel before moving onto Acting Assistant Secretary, and Associate Deputy Secretary. He departed HUD after three-and-a-half years and spent the next year-plus at the U.S. Department of the Treasury as General Counsel, Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery.
