 Shortly after his inauguration, President George W. Bush appointed Haynes to be General Counsel of the Department of Defense.Donald Rumsfeld was the 21st Secretary of Defense from 2001 to 2006 under President George W. Bush.In his capacity as general counsel, Haynes oversaw some 10,000 lawyers, and advised on the department's internal affairs and its relations with other government and non-government agencies at home and abroad.