Donald Trump's field director resigns

Donald Trump's field director resigns

By Jeremy Diamond, CNN
Updated 11:29 PM ET, Mon April 18, 2016

(CNN)Donald Trump's national field director resigned Monday amid a staff shakeup that put Scott Walker's former campaign manager in charge of the campaign's ground operation.

Stuart Jolly, the national field director, tendered his resignation to Trump, two days after Trump met with senior staff and officially elevated Trump's recently-hired national political director Rick Wiley above Jolly.

"I left. I wasn't pushed, I wasn't shoved, I wasn't asked to leave," Jolly told CNN Monday in a phone interview.

Jolly was a longtime loyalist to Trump's campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, and Jolly's departure shrinks the circle of loyal aides Lewandowski has around him as Paul Manafort, Trump's recent hire to manage the convention strategy, gains more clout in the Trump campaign.

"I don't want to hurt Mr. Trump and I certainly don't want to hurt Corey," Jolly told CNN, adding that it was simply time to leave amid the campaign shakeup.

Politico first reported the resignation Monday.

Jolly said he is encouraging his field staff to stay on with the campaign.

"You gotta love and respect the people you work for. Things were changing so I'm going to give them an opportunity," Jolly said. "I would obviously have less input."

http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/18/politi...gns/index.html

Trump orders new campaign hierarchy, spending plan

At a senior staff meeting on Saturday, the GOP front-runner gave Paul Manafort more authority and approved a major spending increase.

By KENNETH P. VOGEL and BEN SCHRECKINGER
04/18/16 06:41 PM EDT

http://static2.politico.com/dims4/de...mp-ap-1160.jpg
Donald Trump during Saturday's meeting stressed to his senior staffers that none of them would be fired. | AP Photo

In a shakeup that’s roiling Donald Trump's presidential campaign, the GOP front-runner told senior staffers at a Saturday meeting that he wants his recent hires Paul Manafort and Rick Wiley to take the reins in upcoming states, giving them a $20-million budget for key contests in May and June, according to three sources with knowledge of the meeting.

The spending authorization, which covers most of the month of May, is far more than the campaign has spent in any prior month, according to Federal Election Commission filings. The cash infusion — which the sources said is intended to fund an aggressive advertising push, as well as more staff at Trump's New York headquarters and in upcoming states — is part of an effort by the billionaire to expand and professionalize a shoestring operation that had mostly gotten by on the strength of free media exposure and a small core team.

But sources inside the Trump campaign said the moves are increasingly alienating staff loyal to the original team headed by campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, which had guided Trump from the political fringe to the precipice of the GOP presidential nomination with relatively little campaign infrastructure or spending.

One key Lewandowski loyalist, national field director Stuart Jolly, on Monday submitted a letter of resignation, according to the sources, who characterized Jolly as displeased with the reorganization. Under the new structure, Jolly would have reported to Wiley, who was hired last week by Manafort as political director. In turn, Wiley, who previously ran Scott Walker's disappointing presidential campaign, will report to Manafort, who was hired late last month and quickly boasted “I work directly for the boss.”

One operative who has worked with the campaign and was briefed on the changes said “Stuart will not work with Rick Wiley. It just wasn’t going to happen.” The operative added that the change had sparked particular concern among the campaign’s field staff, many of whom were hired by Jolly and maintained close contact with him — a rarity on a campaign with a reputation for top-down communication.

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/0...#ixzz46FCS3oYv

That's a shame, I think Stuart Jolly was a good guy, but changes happen. He seems to be leaving on a good note. I wish him well and thank him so much all the good work that got Trump this far. The fight has changed from winning votes to winning delegates so I guess a different emphasis and expertise is required for the "ground game" and that's why new people are coming in that he didn't think he could work with as well or contribute as much? I don't know. I always thought the ground game was getting votes of voters, but it seems to be working with the party bosses and getting delegates.

GRRRRRR!