Posted on 12/11/2013 11:36:39 AM PST by Gipper08
Republican Study Committee Chairman Steve Scalise has fired the group's longtime executive director, Paul Teller, multiple sources tell National Journal.
The reason for the dismissal, according to sources familiar with the situation, is that Teller allegedly shared sensitive conversations between RSC members with outside advocacy groups, some of whom hold policy positions counter to the RSC.
"No staffer is above a member," said one senior Republican aide familiar with the situation. "Paul was divulging private, member-level conversations and actively working against RSC strategies supported by House conservatives."
Teller could not immediately be reached for comment.
The move comes as Scalise, who has not stated whether he will support the budget compromised brokered by Rep. Paul Ryan, is attempting to take the temperature of his members on the agreement.
Scalise was meeting individually with top conservative lawmakers, including former RSC Chairman Jim Jordan, prior to Wednesday's RSC gathering. Jordan, who is close to Teller, initially said the meeting was about Ryan's budget agreement. But it became clear afterwards that other things, including Teller's dismissal, were discussed.
On his way into the RSC meeting, Scalise emphasized that he remained undecided on Ryan's deal. "We're going to talk about that in here," he said.
Teller, a staunch conservative with longstanding ties to outside groups opposing the deal, is accused of working behind the scenes to derail the budget agreement.
The dismissal was announced to members at Wednesday's closed-door meeting. Shortly after the caucus gathered around lunchtime, dozens of staffers were asked to leave the room, an unusual move that typically signals Scalise's desire to discuss a sensitive matter with RSC members only.
Scalise informed members at the meeting that he had asked for Teller's resignation, and that Teller accepted. But the chairman did not elaborate on why the decision was made. "If you want to discuss the details, call my office," Scalise said, according to members present.
The decision was apparently made unilaterally by Scalise. Rep. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., a member of the RSC steering committee, said she was surprised by the news of Teller's firing. "I didn't find out about it until I walked in the room," she said.
Teller joined the RSC in 2001 as legislative director, and shortly thereafter assumed the role of executive director, a position he's held for more than 10 years.
There is no immediate word on who will replace Teller as executive director, a pivotal position that helps organize weekly meetings and policy papers for the caucus of more than 170 House Republicans.
I thought it was great
Oh yeah they were all there honoring Mandela, right
The Clinton’s, professional funeral crashers along with Huma the MB estranged wife of the strange weiner and Chelsea whose husband hasn’t been spotted since he took off for a ski slope on their honeymoon
And BO whooping it up with some babe
Pshaw!
We want republicans to play the game on terms of quitting the nice guys finish last
But many here pounce on them as soon as they nuance something that might be interpreted by the press who will always hate them as criticisable
Good for Cruz. Even and especially if he went halfway around the world to attend an event where he can see one of the Castro b’s and snub him
If the president is allowed to shake his hand, multitudes worse than snubbing him, then Ted can snub him
Take the gloves off!
Well, the enemy facing Conservatives’ front.
And the enemy at Conservatives’ back.
Not good.
Seems only a handful of Repubs are not doing the Dems’ work for them.
Boner and McSurrender for sure have sold us to the enemy.
Mark Levin went on a rant about this the other night.
PING!
Their is clearly a new game plan to marginalize conservatives by the beltway GOP................>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
The RINOs just threw down the gauntlet, and Sarah Palin is picking it up. Many Republican primaries will become battles royal, and there may even be 3rd party candidates. Bring it on Boehner. Ted Cruz and Mile Lee were right.
REPEAL OBAMA CARE!!!!!!!!!
What I don’t understand is why you people still don’t get
it. The republican party is the false opposition front of
the liberal democrat party. The tards have infiltrated
everything from religion to the boy scouts. What makes you
think that they haven’t infiltrated and taken over the
republican party? It has been one party rule sense the
election of George Bush Sr. The only real republicans that
are left are the conservatives and by now you should have
noticed they are under fire from the democrat and democrat lite
party.
Did the continuing progress to socialism ever stop,
slow down or retreat when the so called republicans had the power
to do something? No it didn’t. If the truth be told there
are still two parties. The socialist party (democrats and RINOS)
and the conservative party.
I think of it as a sort of lightning rod, which safely "grounds" conservative opposition which might damage the socialist power structure. From the point of view of the lightning, any effort spent on it is wasted.
Somebody please prove me wrong. Please?
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