WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team announced Wednesday that Rick Dearborn, longtime chief of staff to Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), will serve as Deputy Chief of Staff in the Trump White House, one of the administration’s most senior positions.
In his new role, Dearborn, who is currently executive director of the Presidential Transition Team, will lead the White House Office of Legislative Affairs, Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and Cabinet affairs.
Dearborn has worked for six U.S. Senators, including two members of Senate leadership, and spent more than 25 years working on Capitol Hill. He was nominated by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the Senate to become the Assistant Secretary of Energy for Congressional Affairs, where he worked with the Senate, House and Tribal Governments on the President’s Energy agenda.
Incoming White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon said Dearborn has “been instrumental in our victory and transition efforts,” and added that he will be relied upon to “guide critical White House operations as we aggressively follow through on President-elect Trump’s promise to put America First.”
Dearborn is the second top Sessions staffer to land a senior role in the Trump White House.
Sessions’ former communications director, Stephen Miller, was previously announced as Trump’s senior policy advisor.
“Stephen played a central and wide-ranging role in our primary and general election campaign,” President-Elect Trump said. “He is deeply committed to the America First agenda, and understands the policies and actions necessary to put that agenda into effect. He is a strong advocate for protecting American workers, and will fulfill a crucial role in my Administration as my senior advisor on matters of policy.”
Miller has been Trump National Policy Director since January of 2016. In addition to that role, he also served as Trump’s top speechwriter before filling the same roles on the President-Elect’s transition team.
Other Alabamians are expected to land senior roles in the Trump administration in the coming days.
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