Who is Eric East from The Pelican Brief and what is their importance?

Eric East is the FBI Special Agent assigned to lead the Rosenberg/Jensen murder investigation, East is the first agent to receive the draft of Darby Shaw's "pelican brief" from Special Counsel to the Director Gavin Verheek. He passes it to Director F. Denton Voyles, who finds it a long-shot, but has East give it to Fletcher Coal in order to make him and the President sweat a bit.