Trump’s New Chief Digital Officer is Already Gone
Orhan Cam/Shutterstock.com
By
Frank Konkel
Gerrit Lansing made the move to the White House in January after serving as the Republican National Committee’s chief digital officer since 2015.
Gerrit Lansing’s tenure as the White House’s chief digital officer did not last long.
Politico reported Wednesday that Lansing, who made the move to the White House in January after serving as the Republican National Committee’s chief digital officer since 2015, failed to pass a national security background check.
A White House spokesman said the agency “does not comment on hirings or firings,” but another administration source with knowledge of the situation confirmed the vacancy to Nextgov. According to Politico, Lansing was one of six staffers escorted out of the White House last week who could not pass an FBI screening.
Lansing, along with President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, and Reed Cornish, Trump’s assistant to the president for intragovernmental and technology initiatives, had met with Obama-era tech teams the U.S. Digital Service and 18F in the early days of the administration. Lansing publicly proclaimed he had their backs.
“FYI: USDS is here to stay with the new administration. Period.” Lansing tweeted in January.