Stephen Miller’s office has ordered White House staff to get a lawyer’s sign-off before meeting lobbyists on the grounds, saying staff must give their time “unwaveringly to the working people of the nation.”
Story Highlights
- A memo from Chief of Staff Stephen Miller’s office says staff need prior approval from the White House Counsel’s office to meet registered lobbyists on the White House complex about policy.
- The memo says staff are expected to devote their time to “the working people of the nation,” not to special interests.
- Outside groups are pointed to the Office of Public Liaison as their main point of contact.
- The rule is not a total ban. It covers meetings on the complex with registered lobbyists, not off-site meetings.
What Changed: Counsel Approval Required On-Site
On Thursday, November 12, a memo from the office of new White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller became public, telling staff they need permission before meeting lobbyists at the White House. It says: “White House staff must receive prior approval from the Office of White House Counsel for meetings on the White House complex with registered lobbyists related to government policy.” The White House Counsel’s office is the president’s in-house legal team. A registered lobbyist is a person paid to sway federal officials who must sign up and report that work under federal law.
The memo is titled “Policy Regarding Meetings with Lobbyists” and is addressed to White House staff. According to reports, it was written by Alina Bulazel, a deputy assistant to the president who directs the Office of the Chief of Staff. It was first reported on Thursday, November 12, and pro-Trump podcaster Benny Johnson posted a photo of it on X the same day. Trump named Miller, who had been deputy chief of staff, to the top staff job on Friday, November 6, so the rule came in his first week.
Why Miller Moved: Staff Time Belongs To Voters
The memo gives its own reason up front. It opens with praise for the president: “No President in history has fought more relentlessly, selflessly or courageously for the American People than President Trump.” It then says staff “are expected to dedicate their time unwaveringly to the working people of the nation.” The approval rule puts that line into practice: a lobbyist who wants a staffer’s time on policy must clear the lawyers first.
The rule also arrived one week after a public fight over lobbyist access. Calley Means, a health adviser who left the Department of Health and Human Services in October, accused Miller’s predecessor, Susie Wiles, of steering health policy toward corporate donors with well-connected lobbyists. He named Ballard Partners, the lobbying firm where Wiles once worked, and her daughter’s firm. The White House rejected those claims, and Brian Ballard, who heads the firm, said his firm’s dealings with Wiles as chief of staff were “limited and have been the exception, not the rule.” Reports describe the memo as a sharp break from how Wiles ran the office.
One Front Door For Outside Groups
The memo sends outside groups to the Office of Public Liaison, the White House office that handles contact with businesses, advocacy groups and other outsiders. It calls that office “the primary point of contact for engagement with external stakeholders.” In plain terms, there is one front door. Staff should not be taking meetings through side doors or personal favors.
That matters because access is the coin of the realm in Washington. When one office handles requests and the lawyers screen meetings first, it is harder for a well-connected insider to slip in a quiet pitch. It rewards a clear case on the merits instead of who you know.
What The Rule Does Not Do
The memo does not ban lobbyists outright, and it does not use the word “ban.” Meetings can go ahead once counsel approves. It covers only meetings on the White House complex, with registered lobbyists, about government policy. According to reports, it does not reach meetings away from the White House, such as at Mar-a-Lago or Trump’s golf clubs, or talks with people who are not registered lobbyists.
The version made public does not spell out how staff should ask for approval or what standards the lawyers will use. Those details have not been released. Even so, the rule changes the default. Before, a staffer could simply say yes to a meeting. Under the memo, the answer starts with the lawyers.
The White House Response
White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said, “President Trump’s loyalty is to the American people, not lobbyists.” She added that the parts of the White House continue to work in lockstep on the president’s America First agenda, according to reports.
Bottom Line: A Guard At The Door
In his first week as chief of staff, Miller put a checkpoint between lobbyists and the people who write White House policy. The rule is narrow, not total, and it does not cover meetings off the grounds. But inside the White House, the message to staff is plain: their time belongs to the working people of the nation, not to K Street, the Washington street long known as the home of the lobbying business.
Sources:
politico.com, nytimes.com, ianslive.in, rawstory.com, voz.us
