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Heidi Stirrup was put in post after Chief of Staff Mark Meadows informed federal agencies in September that the White House was replacing all of their liaison officers in what was widely seen as a move to install loyalists in the roles. But after only a short stint on the job, Stirrup is no longer cleared at the Justice Department after trying to secure information she was not aware of regarding potential cases of voter fraud, a person familiar with the matter said. at CNN.
The Associated Press first reported this development. The White House personnel office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CNN. The Justice Department declined to comment.
But Stirrup appears to have already been placed in a new role. The White House announced Thursday that she would be named a member of the U.S. Air Force Academy Visitors Council.
Stirrup’s pressure on Justice Department employees is another example of the Trump administration’s insertion into deliberations surrounding supposedly widespread voter fraud. The Justice Department found no evidence that there was fraud in last month’s presidential election to the level suggested by President Donald Trump, Attorney General William Barr said in an interview with The Associated Press published Tuesday. But Trump has repeatedly made baseless allegations of electoral fraud in the weeks following the election, taking the issue to court and in some cases, bringing it to the White House.
Trump invited Pennsylvania Republican lawmakers to the White House last week following a “hearing” hosted by lawmakers in Gettysburg over baseless allegations of voter fraud in last month’s election. Trump called for this event.
Last month, Trump invited lawmakers from the Republican states of Michigan to the White House and called two members of the Wayne County Republican Solicitation Board to offer his support, a person familiar with the matter told CNN after voting. to certify. election results in the state’s largest county, which includes Detroit. Council members filed affidavits the next day to “void” their votes to certify the election results.
And after more than 30 unsuccessful prosecutions in 30 days, attempts by Trump and his supporters to overturn Joe Biden’s election as the next president have fallen in court – sometimes repeatedly, with judges dumping allegations and shutting down all possible legal avenues to interfere. with the electoral college.
But the president’s efforts are not stopping, with more lawsuits and appeals filed almost daily, and more than $ 170 million raised in response to Trump’s cash appeals.
CNN reported in September that the liaison officers have been replaced with officials who will report directly to the White House instead of the agencies to which they are assigned, a move aimed at giving the White House more political recruiting power.
Previously, liaison officers worked in conjunction with the White House’s Office of Presidential Personnel and the agencies they served, while ultimately reporting to agency heads. With this change, the liaison will instead report directly to the White House. Liaison officers may be tasked with helping the White House place politicians in agencies.
The change was implemented by John McEntee, the head of the White House personnel office who fought with agency officials over political appointments.
CNN’s Katelyn Polantz, Jeremy Diamond, Annie Grayer, Jeremy Herb, Kevin Liptak and Maegan Vazquez contributed to this report.
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