RNC chief counsel resigns after two months

The GOP logo hangs on a podium during the Republican National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S., on Monday, Aug. 24, 2020.

The Republican National Committee’s chief counsel Charlie Spies has resigned two months after accepting the position.

Spies’ departure follows weeks of growing tension with RNC officials, a source familiar with the situation told CNN. His hiring rankled many Donald Trump loyalists who viewed the veteran Republican lawyer as at odds with the former president, given his previous work for Jeb Bush, Mitt Romney and Ron DeSantis.

RNC spokesperson Danielle Alvarez said in a statement to CNN that Spies stepped down due to “potential time commitment conflicts.”

“Charlie approached RNC chief of staff Chris LaCivita about potential time commitment conflicts and it was agreed that while we appreciate and value Charlie’s expertise and professionalism he could not do this role full time and still maintain the obligations to his law firm practice that he has spent years successfully building,” Alvarez said.

Spies, meanwhile, told CNN in a statement Sunday: “Working full time at the RNC wasn’t the right fit with my law firm client commitments, but I will remain focused on getting President Trump and Republicans at all levels elected in November.”

Spies was brought into the RNC in March shortly after new RNC Chairman Michael Whatley was elected to lead the party. His hire was one of a handful meant to “initiate battle on election integrity from an offensive instead of defensive posture,” LaCivita told CNN in a statement at the time.

Trump originally approved of the hiring, one source told CNN, but sources said the former president was angered after his allies pointed to clips of Spies criticizing the false claims that the 2020 election was stolen.

CNN’s Kristen Holmes, Fredreka Schouten and Michelle Shen contributed to this story.

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