special counsel
noun
: counsel appointed to fill a particular need: as
a
: a federal government official appointed by the Attorney General to investigate and prosecute government corruption in cases where the Attorney General's office has a conflict of interest
b
: a federal government official appointed to protect federal employees from illegal practices by employers and especially from employer reprisal for whistleblowing
Examples of special counsel in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Among them are Mary Dohrmann and James Pearce, who both served on former special counsel Jack Smith's legal team.
—
Scott MacFarlane, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026
The owner of the facility, Newport Bickford, owes $105,292 in taxes to the town of Windsor Locks, according to Adam Cohen, special counsel for tax enforcement.
—Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 16 Feb. 2026
Republican senators grilled top executives from AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon on Tuesday for handing over the phone records of several members of Congress that were subpoenaed by former special counsel Jack Smith.
—Julia Shapero, The Hill, 10 Feb. 2026
She was arrested last August by a special counsel, with prosecutors requesting 15 years in prison for the various crimes the court ruled on Wednesday.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 28 Jan. 2026
Former special counsel to the mayor Tim Moriarty, who now works at Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath.
—IndyStar, 27 Jan. 2026
The new appointee was Joseph Mazzara, previously special counsel to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, whom Noem later tapped to serve as acting general counsel at DHS headquarters.
—Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 22 Jan. 2026
Trump and his supporters allege that the special counsel was trying to influence the 2024 election.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 22 Jan. 2026
The resignation is effective April 7, but Dul will stay on the payroll in a new special counsel role for an unspecified amount of time to help establish new legal leadership.
—Stacey Barchenger, AZCentral.com, 2 Apr. 2025
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Scott MacFarlane, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026
The owner of the facility, Newport Bickford, owes $105,292 in taxes to the town of Windsor Locks, according to Adam Cohen, special counsel for tax enforcement.
—Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 16 Feb. 2026
Republican senators grilled top executives from AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon on Tuesday for handing over the phone records of several members of Congress that were subpoenaed by former special counsel Jack Smith.
—Julia Shapero, The Hill, 10 Feb. 2026
She was arrested last August by a special counsel, with prosecutors requesting 15 years in prison for the various crimes the court ruled on Wednesday.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 28 Jan. 2026
Former special counsel to the mayor Tim Moriarty, who now works at Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath.
—IndyStar, 27 Jan. 2026
The new appointee was Joseph Mazzara, previously special counsel to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, whom Noem later tapped to serve as acting general counsel at DHS headquarters.
—Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 22 Jan. 2026
Trump and his supporters allege that the special counsel was trying to influence the 2024 election.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 22 Jan. 2026
The resignation is effective April 7, but Dul will stay on the payroll in a new special counsel role for an unspecified amount of time to help establish new legal leadership.
—Stacey Barchenger, AZCentral.com, 2 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Special counsel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/special%20counsel. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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