Influence Peddling Claims Prompt White House to Restrict Lobbyist Meetings

New limits on lobbyist meetings

A memo from Stephen Miller’s office bars White House employees from meeting lobbyists about policy on the premises unless they first receive approval. The restriction was described by someone who received the memo and could not speak publicly about it.

The memo was shared on social media Thursday by a podcaster allied with President Trump and was also reported by Politico. The White House did not answer questions Thursday night about the directive or its motivation.

Miller takes over as chief

Miller, a longtime Trump aide, became chief of staff last week after Susie Wiles was removed from the role. The new policy comes as he seeks to set himself apart from his predecessor.

The memo presents the rules as part of a commitment to working people and invokes Trump’s example. It says staff are expected to devote their time to the nation’s working people.

Means raises donor concerns

The policy follows criticism last week from Calley Means, a former senior health adviser in the Trump administration. Means, who resigned from the Department of Health and Human Services last month, accused the White House of serving lobbyists and clients who had contributed substantial sums to Trump political groups and projects.

Means, a prominent participant in the Make America Healthy Again movement, placed blame on Wiles. He argued that she steered health policy toward corporate donors represented by influential lobbyists rather than ordinary Americans.

Means pointed to Ballard Partners, where Wiles previously worked, and Continental Strategy, where her daughter Katie Wiles is a partner. The memo’s release followed those allegations, but the White House has not said whether they prompted the new restrictions.