Overview

• His wife, journalist Rita Braver, confirmed his death at 79 to CNN, with reports noting he died in a Washington-area hospital after a long, unspecified illness.
• Barnett was a longtime partner at Williams & Connolly who operated as an attorney billing by the hour rather than taking percentage commissions common to literary agents.
• He brokered multimillion-dollar book and media contracts for figures including Barack and Michelle Obama, Bill and Hillary Clinton, and George W. Bush, as well as journalists such as Bob Woodward, Chris Wallace, Andrea Mitchell and others.
• He advised roughly 10 national campaigns and served as a debate-prep stand-in for candidates and opponents, including roles in preparations for Geraldine Ferraro in 1984, Michael Dukakis in 1988 and Bill Clinton in 1992.
• He was widely regarded as a discreet, bipartisan insider whose influence spanned decades, with tributes from across media and politics including Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott.