MIKE PENCE: “Vice President Mike Pence’s chief lawyer and domestic policy director are leaving his office at the beginning of the New Year, according to four sources familiar with the staff turnover.
The moves come amid high tensions and staff turnover in the Trump administration thanks to the ongoing Russia probe and a new tell-all book about West Wing happenings.
CNN has learned that long-time senior staffers Mark Paoletta and Daris Meeks are leaving Pence’s office. The announcement was made by chief of staff Nick Ayers in a staff meeting at the beginning of the week.
Paoletta and Meeks’ departures follow two other top Pence aides who have left the Office of the Vice President: chief of staff Josh Pitcock and press secretary Marc Lotter. The vice president’s staff is considerably smaller than the West Wing, making the departures a more notable shift at the beginning of the new year.
Paoletta serves as Pence’s chief counsel, the top lawyer in his office. In his role, he advised on all legal matters. Paoletta was ‘very involved’ in helping with the Neil Gorsuch Supreme Court nomination, according to one source familiar with his position.”
-Elizabeth Landers and Jamie Gangel, “Exclusive: Top Pence aides quietly depart in new year,” Politico, Jan. 5, 2018 12:26pm