Marc Short, former president of the Freedom Partners group and a confidant of libertarian billionaires Charles and David Koch, may join the incoming Trump administration as the legislative affairs director, according to reports.
Mike Allen of soon-to-launch Axios announced a series of likely hires on Tuesday, including Short:
Trump to announce Rick Dearborn as a Deputy Chief of Staff for legislative, intergovernmental and Cabinet affairs, w/ Marc Short head of leg
— Mike Allen (@mikeallen) January 3, 2017
Trump announcing at least 3 deputy chiefs of staff: Rick Dearborn for leg.; Katie Walsh, now RNC chief of staff; Joseph Whitehouse Hagin ops
— Mike Allen (@mikeallen) January 3, 2017
At least 4 power centers gain influence in Trump staff picks today: Bannon, Sessions, Pence, Priebus. Bannon tentacles everywhere … @Axios
— Mike Allen (@mikeallen) January 3, 2017
Short worked for Vice President-elect Mike Pence when he served in the House, and he also served as a spokesman for Texas Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.
As legislative affairs director, Short would hold “a key position helping guide Trump’s agenda through the Republican Congress,” Politico says, a powerful position for someone who adamantly opposed Trump during the Republican primary.
As National Review reported in May 2016, while president of Freedom Partners, Short “led a faction inside the Koch network that had become convinced of the need to neutralize Donald Trump before his momentum made him unstoppable,” and tried to persuade Charles Koch to spend tens of millions of dollars to take out Trump before he won Super Tuesday primaries.
Short later joined Rubio’s campaign, which effectively ended after Trump beat him in every county except one in his home state of Florida.
Pence will also help guide Trump’s agenda through the GOP-controlled Congress, which will tackle immigration, rebuilding infrastructure, health care, and bringing jobs back to the U.S. from overseas.
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