Posted Apr 20, 2010 6:42 AM CDT
By Debra Cassens Weiss

President Obama’s first White House counsel, Gregory Craig, is advising Goldman Sachs as it fights a civil fraud suit filed Friday by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Craig is a lawyer at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom who is assigned to represent the investment bank, according to Bloomberg and Politico. Craig will help “navigate the halls of power in Washington,” Politico says, relying on information from an unnamed source.

Two unnamed White House officials told Bloomberg that several top administration officials were unaware of Craig’s new role until reporters called with questions.

Craig resigned as White House counsel in November, and later denied rumors that he was forced out of the job because of his role in efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center.