Former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus says he sees his role as helping clients understand how to make progress with Trump, on Capitol Hill and in government agencies. | Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images Priebus says he will rejoin his Wisconsin law firm The former White House chief of staff will be the firm's president and chief strategist.

Former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus is rejoining his former law firm and signing with the Washington Speakers Bureau, he told POLITICO Tuesday.

Priebus, who led the Republican National Committee for six years before spending a little more than six months serving as President Donald Trump’s chief of staff, will return to Wisconsin-based Michael Best and Friedrich LLP as president and chief strategist. He worked there before leaving for the RNC.


He will lead the firm's government affairs group, consulting for corporate clients, but Priebus said he will not do any lobbying work and doesn’t plan to register as a lobbyist. Priebus also said he won’t work for foreign governments.

He says he sees his role as helping clients understand how to make progress with Trump, on Capitol Hill and in government agencies — all people and places he was intimately intertwined with until this summer.

“I look forward to continuing to work with friends and colleagues and assist them in maneuvering through politics, politicians and courtrooms,” Priebus said in a statement.

Playbook PM Sign up for our must-read newsletter on what's driving the afternoon in Washington. Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Additionally, Priebus will give paid speeches on Trump, Capitol Hill and politics in Washington ahead of the 2018 election — and already has events lined up in New York and London, after traveling to South Korea last week for a dinner. He declined to say what his speaking fee is.

Priebus had a rocky stretch in the White House, which was engulfed by bickering among staff trying to manage a temperamental president. He was often attacked by other aides and seen as ineffectual at managing Trump, who abruptly replaced him with retired Marine general John Kelly in late July via Twitter.

But he retained his cachet and goodwill in GOP circles – and has a deep knowledge of the political process. At the RNC, he was viewed as a strong fundraiser who had deep ties with his members.

Others, including former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski and Barry Bennett, have also set up businesses near the White House, seeking to channel their knowledge of the Trump administration on clients’ behalf.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, a fellow Wisconsinite who considers Priebus a close friend, said he had a “mix of book smarts, street smarts, and a non-stop work ethic.”

North Carolina Republican Rep. Mark Meadows, who leads the Freedom Caucus, said he saw Priebus as a knowledgeable player in Washington politics. “He would be one of my three or four top picks in navigating Washington,” Meadows said. “He has connections within the administration and across Capitol Hill that are almost unparalleled.”

Sen. Orrin Hatch, a Utah Republican, said he liked Priebus in the White House because he was a straight-shooter, responsive and “not a right-wing nut.”

“He’s a player around this town,” Hatch said. “He wants to get out and make some money for a change. I think that’s a nice goal.”

