Trump Technology Aide Is Latest to Exit Turbulent White House

(Bloomberg) -- A senior technology aide to President Donald Trump is stepping down, the latest in a growing list of top officials to depart a turbulent White House in recent days.

Reed Cordish, an ally of Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, is leaving his post as assistant to the president for intergovernmental and technology initiatives, the White House said Friday. Cordish will be replaced by Brooke Rollins, the president and CEO of Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative think tank.

“Reed has been invaluable to the Administration. His leadership on initiatives ranging from work-force development to Prison Reform to modernizing key VA services will have a positive impact for millions of Americans,” Kushner said in a statement, using an acronym for the Department of Veterans Affairs. “Reed and I have been working closely with Brooke Rollins in her role as President & CEO of Texas Public Policy Foundation on Prison Reform and she is well prepared to continue executing on our key initiatives.”

Cordish’s departure, reported earlier by the Washington Post, comes as the White House has faced an exodus of high-level staff in recent weeks and a scandal over its handling of domestic abuse charges and security clearances. In the past month alone, the administration has seen the departure of its deputy national security adviser, a senior speechwriter, the staff secretary and a special assistant for international energy and environmental policy, among others.

Staff secretary Rob Porter resigned earlier this month amid accusations he abused his two former wives. Porter has denied the allegations.

In his role, Cordish worked on a wide range of projects in the White House, including technology policy, science, government organization and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Cordish, whose family runs the Baltimore-based real-estate firm Cordish Cos., is one of the wealthiest members of the Trump administration, according to White House financial disclosures. He did not take a salary.

Rollins, who has led the Texas Public Policy Foundation since 2003, previously worked for Energy Secretary Rick Perry when he was the governor of Texas.

To contact the reporter on this story: Toluse Olorunnipa in Washington at tolorunnipa@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Alex Wayne at awayne3@bloomberg.net, Mike Dorning, Joshua Gallu

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