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Donald Trump’s Campaign Hires Ex-Christie Aide to Bolster Political Operation Donald Trump’s Campaign Hires Ex-Christie Aide to Bolster Political Operation
(35 minutes later)
Donald J. Trump’s campaign has hired Bill Stepien, a former top aide to Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, whose role in the Bridgegate scandal led to his firing and denied him the central role he was expected to play in the governor’s presidential run.Donald J. Trump’s campaign has hired Bill Stepien, a former top aide to Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, whose role in the Bridgegate scandal led to his firing and denied him the central role he was expected to play in the governor’s presidential run.
Mr. Stepien is expected to step in to help guide the campaign’s political operations, according to two people close to Mr. Stepien and three people close to the Trump campaign who were granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. Mr. Stepien was hired on Thursday, and one person who confirmed the hire said his title was expected to be national field director.Mr. Stepien is expected to step in to help guide the campaign’s political operations, according to two people close to Mr. Stepien and three people close to the Trump campaign who were granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. Mr. Stepien was hired on Thursday, and one person who confirmed the hire said his title was expected to be national field director.
A campaign spokesman did not respond to an email seeking comment. But the people who confirmed the hire said that Mr. Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who is heavily involved in spending and strategy decisions in the campaign, discussed it in staff briefings. A campaign spokesman did not respond to an email seeking comment. But the people who confirmed the hire said that Mr. Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who is heavily involved in spending and strategy decisions in the campaign, discussed it in staff briefings and pushed for it to occur.
Mr. Christie is the chief of Mr. Trump’s transition committee, but he is no longer close to Mr. Stepien and was said to have been uninvolved in the discussions to hire him.Mr. Christie is the chief of Mr. Trump’s transition committee, but he is no longer close to Mr. Stepien and was said to have been uninvolved in the discussions to hire him.
Mr. Stepien is expected to help beef up a political operation that has been a work in progress for several weeks. He had initially been contacted by the Trump campaign earlier this year as Mr. Christie’s campaign for president was sputtering. Mr. Stepien is expected to help beef up a political operation that has been a work in progress for several weeks. He had initially been contacted by the Trump campaign earlier this year as Mr. Christie’s campaign for president was sputtering. When the issue was revisited after Mr. Christie dropped out of the race, both the governor and Mr. Trump’s then-campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, opposed hiring him, according to people briefed at the time.
Roger Stone, an informal adviser to Mr. Trump over many years, described the move as a positive one. ‘He’s a real professional and has the kind of contacts and experience the campaign could really use,” Mr. Stone said.Roger Stone, an informal adviser to Mr. Trump over many years, described the move as a positive one. ‘He’s a real professional and has the kind of contacts and experience the campaign could really use,” Mr. Stone said.
For Mr. Stepien, 38, it is a chance to resurrect what was once a promising career as a national political operative. He successfully ran both of Mr. Christie’s campaigns for governor. Mr. Christie had hired him as a consultant to the Republican Governor’s Association during his year as chairman of that group. In January 2014, Mr. Christie picked him to lead the New Jersey Republican party, calling Mr. Stepien “the best Republican operative in the country.” It was widely expected that he would run Mr. Christie’s presidential campaign.For Mr. Stepien, 38, it is a chance to resurrect what was once a promising career as a national political operative. He successfully ran both of Mr. Christie’s campaigns for governor. Mr. Christie had hired him as a consultant to the Republican Governor’s Association during his year as chairman of that group. In January 2014, Mr. Christie picked him to lead the New Jersey Republican party, calling Mr. Stepien “the best Republican operative in the country.” It was widely expected that he would run Mr. Christie’s presidential campaign.
Days after the appointment, Mr. Christie cut Mr. Stepien loose, when documents from a legislative subpoena revealed that a deputy chief of staff to the governor, Bridget Anne Kelly, had sent an email calling for “some traffic problems in Fort Lee,” the town gridlocked by the lane closings on the George Washington Bridge between the borough and Manhattan in September 2013. Prosecutors, who indicted Ms. Kelly and two other Christie allies in the lane closings, have said the tie-ups were retaliation against the Fort Lee mayor, Mark Sokolich, a Democrat, for declining to endorse Mr. Christie for re-election in 2013.Days after the appointment, Mr. Christie cut Mr. Stepien loose, when documents from a legislative subpoena revealed that a deputy chief of staff to the governor, Bridget Anne Kelly, had sent an email calling for “some traffic problems in Fort Lee,” the town gridlocked by the lane closings on the George Washington Bridge between the borough and Manhattan in September 2013. Prosecutors, who indicted Ms. Kelly and two other Christie allies in the lane closings, have said the tie-ups were retaliation against the Fort Lee mayor, Mark Sokolich, a Democrat, for declining to endorse Mr. Christie for re-election in 2013.
The governor gave little reason for why he dropped Mr. Stepien other than to say he had “lost confidence in Bill’s judgment” after other emails showed Mr. Stepien referring to the mayor of Fort Lee as “an idiot” — the kind of language Mr. Christie has been known to employ publicly.The governor gave little reason for why he dropped Mr. Stepien other than to say he had “lost confidence in Bill’s judgment” after other emails showed Mr. Stepien referring to the mayor of Fort Lee as “an idiot” — the kind of language Mr. Christie has been known to employ publicly.
Mr. Stepien was not among the three people charged by federal prosecutors in the lane closings. But earlier this month, a lawyer for one of other defendants released texts from a conversation between two Christie staffers during the two-hour news conference in which the governor denied knowing about the lane closings. “He just flat out lied about senior staff and Stepien not being involved,” one staffer wrote to the other.Mr. Stepien was not among the three people charged by federal prosecutors in the lane closings. But earlier this month, a lawyer for one of other defendants released texts from a conversation between two Christie staffers during the two-hour news conference in which the governor denied knowing about the lane closings. “He just flat out lied about senior staff and Stepien not being involved,” one staffer wrote to the other.
Mr. Stepien’s lawyer has insisted that his client was not involved in the scandal, and that the text does nothing to prove his involvement. Mr. Stepien had earlier refused to turn over documents or otherwise cooperate with a legislative committee investigating the lane closing scandals, asserting his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination.Mr. Stepien’s lawyer has insisted that his client was not involved in the scandal, and that the text does nothing to prove his involvement. Mr. Stepien had earlier refused to turn over documents or otherwise cooperate with a legislative committee investigating the lane closing scandals, asserting his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination.
Mr. Stepien’s career had all but hit a wall after Mr. Christie let him go. He did some work for a Republican direct mail firm and for New Jersey legislative campaigns and had discussions about working on the presidential campaign of Senator Marco Rubio of Florida as well as on Mr. Trump’s campaign in New Hampshire — all before Mr. Christie dropped out of the race. In April, the governor’s lieutenant, Kim Guadagno, named Mr. Stepien as executive director of a nonprofit set up to support her expected campaign for governor, a move Mr. Christie had opposed.Mr. Stepien’s career had all but hit a wall after Mr. Christie let him go. He did some work for a Republican direct mail firm and for New Jersey legislative campaigns and had discussions about working on the presidential campaign of Senator Marco Rubio of Florida as well as on Mr. Trump’s campaign in New Hampshire — all before Mr. Christie dropped out of the race. In April, the governor’s lieutenant, Kim Guadagno, named Mr. Stepien as executive director of a nonprofit set up to support her expected campaign for governor, a move Mr. Christie had opposed.
The Trump campaign recently underwent a major shake-up, with the ascension of both the veteran pollster Kellyanne Conway, an adviser whom Mr. Trump has known for many years and one he trusts, and of Stephen K. Bannon, the financial force behind the Breitbart News website. Since then, there has been an effort to hire another political hand, with David Bossie, the head of the conservative group, Citizens United, briefly discussed as possibility, but national Republicans expressed reservations over his lack of experience directing campaign political operations.The Trump campaign recently underwent a major shake-up, with the ascension of both the veteran pollster Kellyanne Conway, an adviser whom Mr. Trump has known for many years and one he trusts, and of Stephen K. Bannon, the financial force behind the Breitbart News website. Since then, there has been an effort to hire another political hand, with David Bossie, the head of the conservative group, Citizens United, briefly discussed as possibility, but national Republicans expressed reservations over his lack of experience directing campaign political operations.