Former RNC staffer dismissed from White House

White House chief digital officer Gerrit Lansing has been dismissed from his post, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Lansing was among a group of six staffers escorted out of the White House complex last week after reportedly failing a required FBI background check. 

Politico first reported Lansing’s dismissal. 


FBI background checks can reveal an array of issues that could keep someone from doing a job, many of which do not involve criminal issues but touch on financial conflicts of interest.
The White House declined to say what led to Lansing’s dismissal. 

“We do not comment on personnel matters,” said White House deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

Before moving over to the administration, Lansing helmed the Republican National Committee’s digital efforts during the 2016 cycle. That operation played a key role in identifying and tracking potential voters as well as fundraising.

Lansing has spent most of his career in Republican politics, leading the National Republican Congressional Committee’s digital team in 2014 after a stint as a House staffer.

The White House chief digital officer is tasked with creating online content, public engagement and overseeing the digital capabilities for the executive branch.