Rufus L. Edmisten

Who is Rufus L. Edmisten?

Rufus L. Edmisten is a former North Carolina Secretary of State, Attorney General, and candidate for Governor in 1984. He is currently a lawyer in private practice.

Rufus Edmisten was born and raised in Boone, North Carolina. He earned an undergraduate degree in political science with honors at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a J.D. from the George Washington University Law Center in Washington, D.C., where he served on the Law Review. During law school, he joined the Capitol Hill staff of North Carolina Senator Sam Ervin. In 1973-1974, Edmisten was a staff counsel for the Senate Watergate Committee, which Ervin chaired. With Terry Lenzner, an assistant counsel on the Senate Watergate Committee, Edmisten served the subpoena to the White House for the Watergate tapes. It was the first time in history that a Congressional Committee served a subpoena on a sitting President. During his time working for Senator Ervin, Edmisten participated in important legislative initiatives, such as securing constitutional rights for American Indians. He served as the Chief Counsel and Staff Director to the Separation of Powers Committee. He capped his Capitol Hill experience as Deputy Chief Counsel to the Senate Watergate Committee.