Rick Wiley, the former campaign manager for Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R), left Donald Trump’s campaign on Wednesday just a little over a month after he was officially hired.
In a statement addressing Wiley’s departure, the Trump campaign said that his role on the campaign was always meant to be temporary.
“Rick Wiley was hired on a short-term basis as a consultant until the campaign was running full steam. It is now doing better than ever, we are leading in the polls, and we have many exciting events ready to go, far ahead of schedule, while Hillary continues her long, boring quest against Bernie. We would like to thank Rick for helping us during this transition period,” the campaign said in a Wednesday night statement.
Though the campaign downplayed Wiley’s exit from the campaign, Politico reported that Wiley clashed with Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski and those hired by him. And according to NBC News, Wiley did not communicate with staff hired before he was brought onto the campaign.
Wiley was one of the first aides hired by Paul Manafort, and the campaign issued an announcement in April naming Wiley the national political director.
“Rick is a seasoned political expert with a very successful career in winning elections. He brings decades of experience, and his deep ties to political leaders and activists across the country will be a tremendous asset as we enter the final phase of securing the nomination,” the campaign said in the April statement.
