Trump Chief of Staff Curbs Lobbyist Access at White House

White House staff face new restrictions on lobbyist meetings under a memo issued by Stephen Miller, following influence peddling claims reported by nytimes.com.

A directive was sent out by the office of Stephen Miller—who assumed the chief of staff role last week following the ouster of Susie Wiles—mandating that personnel secure prior authorization before discussing policy matters with lobbyists on the premises, an unauthorized recipient of the document disclosed.

“No President in history has fought more relentlessly, selflessly or courageously for the American People than President Trump,” the memo says, as reported by nytimes.com.

As reported by nytimes.com, the White House declined to answer inquiries on Thursday evening regarding the document and the reasons behind its creation. The directive surfaced after a podcaster allied with President Trump posted the document on social media on Thursday, with Politico also covering the development.

The policy follows accusations made last week by Calley Means, a former top health adviser in the administration. Means, a prominent figure in the Make America Healthy Again movement, resigned last month from the Department of Health and Human Services.

Means accused the White House of catering to lobbyists and corporate clients who donated large sums to the president's political groups and projects. He blamed Susie Wiles for tilting health policy to favor corporate donors over ordinary Americans.

Means specifically pointed to Ballard Partners, a lobbying firm where Wiles once worked, and Continental Strategy, a firm where Wiles’s daughter, Katie Wiles, serves as a partner.