Chief counsel of the Republican National Committee steps down following a two-month tenure.
A source familiar with the situation has informed CNN that a few weeks of increasing tension between spies and RNC officials led to their departure. This was due to their past associations with Republicans such as Jeb Bush, Mitt Romney, and Ron DeSantis, which raised concerns amongst Trump's loyal supporters.
According to RNC spokesperson Danielle Alvarez, Spies resigned due to potential time conflicts between his role at the RNC and his law practice. "Charlie spoke with RNC chief of staff Chris LaCivita about these time commitments," she stated. "Though we appreciate his skills and professionalism, it was decided that Charlie wouldn't be able to fully commit to the RNC while maintaining his successful law firm practice."
In a statement to CNN, Spies said, "Full-time at the RNC wouldn't fit with my law firm clients' needs, but I'll keep my focus on electing Republicans this November."
He was appointed to the RNC in March 2021, following the election of the new RNC Chairman, Michael Whatley. This appointment was one of several made to prioritize election integrity, as expressed by LaCivita in a statement: "We bring Charlie in to engage in a more proactive approach to election integrity, compared to the previous defensive strategies."
Trump initially supported this appointment, but grew displeased when his allies highlighted clips of Spies discrediting the false claims about the 2020 election's theft, according to several sources.
CNN's Kristen Holmes, Fredreka Schouten, and Michelle Shen contributed to this report.
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Spies' legal commitments led to potential conflicts with his role at the RNC, causing him to resign, as mentioned by RNC spokesperson Danielle Alvarez. Despite his resignation, Spies remains committed to helping elect Republicans in November, as stated in his statement to CNN.
Source: edition.cnn.com
