House Government Reform Committee Staff Biographies

Kevin J. Binger
Staff Director

There's no staff member on the committee whom Chairman Dan Burton, R-Ind., trusts more than Binger. Little wonder, since Binger was chief of staff in Burton's personal office for five years before joining the committee in 1997. Binger has "exceptional diplomatic skills," according to Richard D. Bennett, the committee's former special counsel and a partner with the Baltimore-based law firm of Miles & Stockbridge. Binger's tact has helped him survive the high-pressure campaign finance probe. He's had to hire dozens of aides and investigators, smooth out partisan spats, handle staff and media eruptions, and manage a far-flung, complex, and seemingly bottomless investigation. It's been "a real challenge," Binger acknowledged. But, he added: "If you don't want to deal with tough problems, this isn't the kind of job you should have." A native of Minneapolis, Binger, 37, is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame. His previous jobs include a two-year stint as a press aide to Dan Quayle when Quayle was an Indiana Senator.

Daniel R. Moll
Deputy Staff Director

Moll, who also joined the committee two years ago, is one of those Capitol Hill aides who won't be content to stay behind the scenes forever. When Rep. Bill Paxon, R-N.Y., unexpectedly retired last year, Moll, a 37-year-old Rochester native, signaled that he might run for Paxon's seat. Moll later changed his mind, but he has not ruled out a future House bid. A graduate of the State University of New York (Fredonia), Moll has worked for five members of Congress during 15 years on Capitol Hill, including two Empire State Republicans: Rep. Sherwood L. Boehlert and ex-Rep. Frank Horton.

Barbara J. Comstock
Chief Counsel

A criminal defense and personal injury lawyer before signing on with the committee in 1995, Comstock said her legal work prepared her well for paging through stacks of public records during the panel's foreign money investigation. "It's really putting puzzles together," she said. But Comstock's best preparation for the investigation's grueling demands has been parenting three children, now ages 15, 14, and 10. Being a mom has taught her to "juggle a lot of balls at one time," she said. Bennett praised Comstock as "the hardest-working lawyer I've ever worked with." A native of Springfield, Mass., Comstock, 39, received her bachelor's degree from Middlebury College and her law degree from Georgetown University.

James C. Wilson
Chief Investigative Counsel

Wilson, 39, is the committee's Renaissance man: He's an intercoastal sailor and racer, and also an award-winning player of the Scottish bagpipes. But Wilson's current passion is getting to the bottom of the foreign money scandal. Despite some 120 witnesses who have refused to cooperate, Wilson is determined to see the investigation through. "But for the ongoing attention of the committee," he said, "the Department of Justice would probably have folded up their tent and gone home long ago." Before joining the committee in 1997, Wilson worked on the Senate Whitewater investigation. He's also worked as a lawyer in Washington, and he served as deputy associate Attorney General at the Justice Department from 1991-93. A native of Washington, D.C., he has a bachelor's degree from Yale University and a law degree from Columbia Law School.

Phil Schiliro
Minority Staff Director

Schiliro is such a close confidant of his boss, ranking member Henry A. Waxman, D-Calif., that he's often called Waxman's "alter ego." As Waxman's top aide, political strategist, and ever-accessible spokesman, Schiliro manages to juggle his various roles with ease. "He has very good political instincts," said a former Democratic Hill staffer. "He knows how things will play, and what issues will work with the press." This source added, though, that Schiliro can be "autocratic" by limiting access to Waxman. But Schiliro responded: "I don't think the office is run that way." Schiliro, a 42-year-old Brooklyn, N.Y., native, is a graduate of Hofstra University and has a law degree from Lewis and Clark Law School. He has worked for Waxman for a number of years, moving over to the committee when Waxman became ranking member in 1997. He has twice attempted to become Waxman's full colleague, losing bids for a New York House seat in 1992 and 1994.

Phil Barnett
Minority Chief Counsel

Barnett, 41, has his fingers in all the committee's activities. "I do not have enough superlatives for him," said Schiliro. Barnett is also perceived as highly focused and determined-sometimes to a fault. "When he gets it in his head to do something, he will do it, no matter what," said one former Democratic Hill aide. But Schiliro said that Barnett's persistence "is one reason why we have so much success on the committee." A native of Palo Alto, Calif., Barnett has worked for Waxman as counsel both in his personal office and on the former Energy and Commerce Committee. Immediately before joining the committee in 1997, Barnett served as the Food and Drug Administration's director of policy research. He's also a former Sierra Club lawyer. A graduate of Princeton University, he has a law degree from Harvard University.

Ken Ballen
Minority Chief Investigative Counsel

Called "one of the best weapons the Democrats have" by a former senior White House and Democratic Hill aide, Ballen is renowned for mixing investigative skills with an acute political sensibility. "Ken knows the Hill as well as anybody I've ever met," said another former Hill aide. Ballen earned such plaudits serving in a series of hot spots: He was associate counsel to the House Iran-Contra Committee and a counsel to then-Speaker Thomas S. Foley, D-Wash. In the early to mid-1980s, he was an assistant U.S. attorney. He joined the Government Reform Committee in 1997. Ballen, 44, is from New York City. He was graduated from Tufts University and Columbia Law School.