John Edward Sweeney

John E. Sweeney is Of Counsel with Tully Rinckey PLLC and concentrates his practice on congressional investigations and federal sector employment and labor law.

Having served four terms as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Mr. Sweeney pulls from a wealth of experience to represent individuals and businesses that are parties to congressional investigations. Additionally, he provides representation to federal employees in various employment and labor issues, such as discrimination, sexual harassment, equal pay, adverse action, Title VII claims, and Inspector General (IG) Investigations.

In 1998, Mr. Sweeney was elected to represent New York’s 20th Congressional District, which covers parts of 10 counties, including Saratoga, Rensselaer and Columbia counties. During his eight years in Congress, he became a member of the influential House Appropriations Committee and served as vice chairman of its Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies. He was also assigned to the Homeland Security and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittees. Through his first-hand knowledge of Congress’ committee process, Mr. Sweeney is ideally positioned to effectively assist individuals and businesses through demanding and sometimes daunting congressional investigations.

Prior to being elected to Congress, Mr. Sweeney served as then-Gov. George Pataki’s deputy chief of staff. Mr. Pataki in 1995 also appointed Sweeney as New York State’s labor commissioner, in which position he ran an agency that employed 5,100 workers and operated on a $733 million budget. Mr. Sweeney’s leadership at the New York State Department of Labor provides him with the unique perspective of how government agencies approach employment issues, giving him an advantage in representing federal employees in their own employment litigation.

From 1992 to 1995, Mr. Sweeney served as the executive director and chief counsel of the New York Republican State Committee, where he played an important role in Rudolph W. Giuliani’s 1993 mayoral and Mr. Pataki’s 1994 gubernatorial campaign. He received his juris doctorate from the Western New England School of Law in Springfield, Mass. and his bachelor’s degree from Russell Sage College in Troy, N.Y.