As the election contest appeal briefs come due and with the 60th Democratic vote in the Senate at stake, Al Franken today announced that Capitol Hill veteran Drew Littman will serve as his Washington-based chief of staff.

Littman has been advising Franken on the ongoing transition process. He was most recently the head of his own consulting practice, Littman Associates, and an adjunct professor at American University.

He began his career on Capitol Hill 20 years ago as a policy aide for then-Rep. Barbara Boxer and has since served as a subcommittee staff director and a Senate policy director.

In a statement, Franken said: “With his years of experience and his expertise in helping new Senators hit the ground running, Drew has become a trusted advisor and a valuable resource as I prepare to take office. I will continue to count on him as I work with Senators from both parties and the rest of our state's fantastic delegation to serve the people of Minnesota, make progress on President Obama's agenda, and move our country forward."

According to a release from Franken’s office, Littman:
   
• served as the head of Franken's informal transition team, having previously assisted over a half-dozen Democratic Senators-elect in their own transitions since 2000.
   
• Littman began his work on Capitol Hill as a policy aide for then-Rep. Barbara Boxer (D-Cali.) in 1989. Since then, he has served as staff director for the House Subcommittee on Government Activities and Transportation, worked as Senator Boxer's Policy Director, and represented a variety of progressive clients (ranging from the Children's Defense Fund to the Reproductive Health Technologies Project to the Independent Film and Television Alliance) both at Podesta Associates and through his own consulting practice, Littman Associates.

• In 2005, Littman joined American University's Government Department as an Adjunct Professor, teaching an undergraduate course entitled "Political Power and American Public Policy"; he has also served as a guest lecturer and panelist on public policy issues and Capitol Hill folkways.