White House chief of staff Mark Meadows warned administration officials to expect a shakeup of senior aides at government agencies, according to a report Tuesday.
Meadows, in an email to John McEntee, director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office, told him “to look at replacing the White House Liaisons (WHLs) at many of your agencies. John will be working with outgoing liaisons to explore other opportunities,” Axios reported, citing a copy of the email.
Meadows asked that liaisons be welcomed in their new roles.
“I ask that you encourage your teams to equip the WHLs with everything they need to support your agency and the President’s agenda,” the email said. “It is important that WHLs have direct access to principals and senior staff regarding all political hiring decisions.”
Liaisons are senior-level staff who manage political appointees at government agencies and become the eyes and ears of the White House, the report said.
McEntee, a former body man and personal aide to Trump, has been leading a purge of government officials who are not loyal to the president’s agenda, Axios previously reported.
Trump appointed McEntee, a former football quarterback at the University of Connecticut, in February to run the office.
Former chief of staff John Kelly had McEntee escorted from the White House in May 2018 after a federal investigation alleged that he committed financial crimes including gambling that jeopardized his security clearance.
Read More: Chief of staff Meadows warns shakeup of government aides likely