WASHINGTON (AP) — One of President-elect Donald Trump’s top campaign advisers is moving forward with plans to form a nonprofit group that will support the Republican’s agenda in the White House. The group is being formed with the backing of Trump and his family, according to two people with knowledge of the plans.
Brad Parscale, who steered the campaign’s data and digital operations, is leading the effort. Parscale confirmed his involvement to The Associated Press, saying the group will be “about supporting the conservative agenda and what the Trump movement stands for.”
The approach follows a model used by President Barack Obama, whose political advisers ran the group Organizing for Action. Such organizations can accept unlimited amounts of money from donors and don’t have to disclose their names, although Obama did so voluntarily. Organizing for Action used its resources to urge supporters to back the president’s policies.
The support of Trump’s family is significant given that the president-elect’s adult children — and Trump himself — will be able to promote the group or even show up at events. The two people who confirmed the family’s support did so on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
Five weeks away from taking office, Trump has selected most of his Cabinet nominees and is turning his focus to finalizing his White House staff and political operations. The process has revived some of the infighting that was pervasive during Trump’s campaign, when he cycled through three campaign managers and stoked rivalries among his staff.
Trump’s final campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, has discussed possibly working in the White House or leading an outside group such as the one Parscale is developing.
Anxiety has been running particularly high among some of Trump’s early campaign staffers who fear being left behind as incoming chief of staff Reince Priebus puts together the West Wing team. Priebus, who is stepping down as Republican National Committee chairman, has been reaching out to some of those Trump loyalists, though several said Friday that they had not received a job offer.
Among those whose fate is still uncertain is Corey Lewandowski, Trump’s controversial first campaign manager. He was fired after clashing with Trump’s adult children and son-in-law Jared Kushner, all of whom are influential advisers.
Lewandowski is said to be meeting with some of Trump’s family on Monday, according to two people with knowledge of the meeting. Lewandowki did not comment when asked about the meeting.
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