White House counsel W. Neil Eggelston's remarks were described in The Washington Post:
White House counsel W. Neil Eggleston made a pitch for criminal justice reform Thursday at the Federalist Society's national convention, joking that his colleagues thought he was entering the lion's den by addressing the conservative group.
"I told various people at the White House that I’m coming over here to speak," Eggleston said, speaking at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington D.C.. "They all think I’m brave."
While the prestigious legal organization has no problem luring officials from Republican administrations, Democratic appointees spend less time in such circles. The last Democratic White House counsel to address the group was Bernard W. Nussbaum, who served in that post more than two decades ago.
Federalist Society vice president Dean A. Reuter gave Eggleston a warm welcome, describing him as "a special guest" who came to share the administration's view with the crowd.