Politico is reporting that former White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus is returning to the Wisconsin law firm, Michael Best and Friedrich LLP.
Priebus, who led the Republican National Committee for six years before spending a little more than six months serving as President Donald Trump’s chief of staff, will return to Wisconsin-based Michael Best and Friedrich LLP as president and chief strategist. He worked there before leaving for the RNC.
He will lead the firm’s government affairs group, consulting for corporate clients, but Priebus said he will not do any lobbying work and doesn’t plan to register as a lobbyist. Priebus also said he won’t work for foreign governments.
Priebus also posted on Twitter about his return to the firm:
Been great to have time off – but excited to be joining @MichaelBestLaw as President and working out of DC & pumped to join @WashSpeakers !
— Reince Priebus (@Reince) October 25, 2017
Priebus served as White House Chief of Staff until July 31, 2017, when he was replaced by General John Kelly.
Priebus was elected chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC) in 2011, and promptly turned the organization’s finances around. The RNC was widely credited for its get-out-the-vote effort on behalf of President Donald Trump in the 2016 election.
Before taking over the RNC, Priebus was the chairman of the Republican Party of Wisconsin. While Priebus may have been a target of Tea Party groups nationally as “a member of the establishment,” in Wisconsin Priebus was known for reaching out to Tea Party groups to heal the rifts after Republicans in the legislature failed to push conservative legislation.
Under Priebus’ leadership, the party saw unprecedented gains in 2010 with the election of Governor Scott Walker, Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch, Senator Ron Johnson, and Kurt Schuller as state Treasurer. The Republicans also gained majorities in the state Assembly and the state Senate, after losing control of the legislature in the 2006 and 2008 elections.
(Note: Corrected to show that Priebus is returning to Michael Best and Friedrich LLP, not Wisconsin.)
