President-elect Donald Trump's transition team said adios to former Michigan congressman Mike Rogers on Tuesday, according to Bloomberg.
And with him left years of national security experience: Rogers spent four years as the chairman of the House intelligence committee, five years as a special agent for the FBI and is a CNN's national security commentator.
"Rogers’ abrupt departure came at the request of team officials, said two people familiar with the matter," Bloomberg's Jennifer Jacobs reported, noting that Rogers was appointed by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie "to help guide the new administration on national security issues."
In a statement issued on Tuesday Rogers wrote, "These past six months, it has been an honor to serve as National Security Senior Advisor to the Trump transition team," He added, "Our work will provide a strong foundation for the new transition team leadership as they move into the post-election phase, which naturally is incorporating the campaign team in New York who drove President-elect Trump to an incredible victory last Tuesday."
Christie formerly led Trump's transition team before Vice President-elect Mike Pence took over the role last week. Christie is now a co-vice chairman along with former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani and retired lieutenant general Michael Flynn. The transition team's new leadership axed Christie's former chief of staff Richard Bagger, who had been helping manage the 16-member committee, and former Christie law partner William Palatucci, who served as the committee's general counsel.
"Bagger and Palatucci worked behind the scenes for months to create a methodical operation that was less drama-filled than the New York-based campaign shop," according to Politico. "They played a central role in hiring transition staff, developing an infrastructure, setting up policy- and agency-focused teams and culling [short lists] for top administration jobs."
If Trump's hastily overhauled transition efforts seem opaque, here's some insight from Eliot Cohen, a higher-up in the State Department under former president George W. Bush, who described on Twitter an "exchange" with council members:
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