Susie Wiles, former Chief of Staff to Donald Trump, is facing allegations of corruption as she transitions from her White House role to a position within Trump's political operation. Calley Means, a former advisor to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and ex-Department of Health and Human Services official, accused Wiles of leveraging her position for personal gain, including allegedly prioritizing companies that hired her daughter, Katie Wiles, as a lobbyist.
Means detailed these accusations in an interview with Joe Rogan, claiming that corporate and foreign interests sought preferential treatment by hiring Katie Wiles. "If you're a special interest and you want to get something done, the secret's out. You pay Susie's daughter, and it was openly discussed when they had a client," Means stated. He also asserted that Wiles suppressed reforms, such as a study on the effects of sugar on children, due to pressure from corporations and the need for campaign funds, quoting her as saying, "We need money for the midterms, Calley. We need money for the midterms."
President Trump announced Wiles' departure from her Chief of Staff position on Friday, stating she would move to the Trump Political Operation and be replaced by Stephen Miller. Trump praised Wiles' service, calling her work "outstanding" and "great." However, a senior White House official told the Daily Mail that Wiles had offered her resignation the previous night, a claim that contrasts with Trump's assertion that he initiated the change.
Wiles, who has been a long-time ally of Trump and served as his longest-serving White House Chief of Staff, expressed pride in her accomplishments, including border security and tax cuts, in a farewell post on X. Stephen Miller, in his statement, thanked Wiles for her "years of devoted service" and expressed honor at taking on the Chief of Staff role.
The shake-up follows significant Republican defeats in recent midterm elections, a period during which the Daily Mail had previously reported that Wiles was preparing an exit plan, a report that the White House had denied at the time.