Charlie Spies, the chief counsel for the Republican National Committee, was removed from his new role just two months after taking the job, amid a firestorm of controversy over conflicts involving other clients at the firm where he still works, according to two people briefed on the matter. matter.
Mr. Spies, an experienced election law attorney who the RNC hired in March primarily because of his knowledge of how to best use existing regulations to a campaign or candidate's advantage, will soon after joining the committee came under attack.
A spokeswoman for the Trump campaign and the RNC did not respond to an email seeking comment. Mr Spies declined to comment.
His previous work — including for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' presidential campaign, the super PAC that backed Jeb Bush against Donald J. Trump during the 2016 Republican primaries and Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee — was credited to Mr. Trump brought to the attention of people who want to oust Mr. Spies.
That softened the ground for getting rid of him, according to the two people briefed on the matter. But in recent weeks, the fact that Mr. Spies' firm — from which he did not take a leave of absence when he took the RNC job — still has ties to Mr. DeSantis has become a particular concern for Trump officials, the two people said.
Mr. DeSantis and Mr. Trump recently met for the first time to repair their relationship after their painful primary fight. The Trump team, outnumbered by President Biden's team, hopes Mr. DeSantis can help raise money. But the details of what that work might look like became an issue, leading to concerns that Mr. Spies had conflicts, the two people said.