BREAKING: The Latest Chief Of Staff For Vice President Kamala Harris Has Announced That She Is Now Resigning From Her Position

Tina Flournoy, Vice President Kamala Harris’ chief of staff, is stepping down this spring, according to a White House official. Lorraine Voles, a senior Democratic communications strategist who joined Harris’ office as an advisor last summer, is expected to succeed Flournoy. An official told CNN at the time that Voles will concentrate her efforts on “organizational growth, strategic communications, and long-term planning.” Flournoy praised the employees in a note to workers obtained by CNN, saying she was “eternally thankful to the vice president for providing me this incredible chance.”

“It had been my plan to talk to each of you individually to let you know that I would soon be departing the Vice President’s Office and my post as Chief of Staff,” she wrote, adding that she might not be able to do so because the news of her departure had already broken. “However, I will contact you in the following days. Then I’ll add, in much more poetic terms, that it’s been an honor to work for the Vice President and a real delight to get to know Kamala Harris and witness firsthand her enormous dedication for her job.” The Washington Post was the first to report about Flournoy’s departure.

Flournoy is the most recent in a long line of departures from the vice president’s office, which has changed hands many times in recent months. Michael Fuchs, Flournoy’s deputy, announced his departure from the administration earlier this month. Nancy McEldowney, the White House’s national security advisor, is stepping down and will be replaced by her deputy, Phil Gordon, according to the White House. And Harris’ communications staff has seen a near-total overhaul in recent months, with the departures of her communications director Ashley Etienne, chief spokeswoman and senior adviser Symone Sanders, and deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh all within months of one another.

Two workers announced their departure from Vice President Kamala Harris’ office on Wednesday. Harris’ director of press operations, Peter Velz, tweeted the news of his resignation from the White House, which was originally reported by Politico. “Today is my last day at the White House, and it has been an incredible privilege. I’ll be eternally thankful to Vice President Harris and the outstanding Team @VP, and I’m extremely pleased of our work helping this historic Administration over the last year “Velz penned an essay. “The White House is an incredible place to work because you’re always surrounded by the most selfless, intelligent, and hardworking people who are dedicated to serving the American people. And it’s [sic] been a complete delight.”

Velz announced his departure from the White House, saying he’ll join the State Department’s protocol team, where he’ll be “eager to continue helping the @VP and @POTUS for their meetings with foreign leaders, delegations, and overseas travel.” Vincent Evans, Harris’ deputy director of public engagement and intergovernmental relations, has also announced that he would become executive director of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Evans tweeted on Wednesday, “I am profoundly pleased to be chosen the Executive Director of the Congressional Black Caucus.” “As we write the next chapter of the CBC’s history, I’m looking forward to putting my expertise and enthusiasm to work in support of the Caucus’ collective vision. Onward.” The resignation are the latest in a string of departures from the vice president’s office, which has also seen the departures of chief spokeswoman and senior advisor Symone Sanders and communications director Ashley Etienne. Each retirement came after a slew of headlines, including one from CNN, about employee infighting and dysfunction.

When asked last month if the latest employee resignations were part of a larger pattern within her office, Harris declined to comment, instead complimenting Sanders and saying simply, “Next question.” According to sources who have received calls, several people on the vice president’s staff have begun to contact contacts to say they want to leave, while many in the vice president’s orbit have expressed frustration that Harris has not been adequately prepared or positioned by the White House and is instead being sidelined.

Staff changes beyond the first year of an administration are not uncommon, and Harris’ office is no exception. Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, announced her plans to leave the administration after the first year in an interview with David Axelrod last May, later telling CNN’s Don Lemon, “I believe that at some point, it will be time for other people to fill these jobs and roles, and to have this front-row seat to history. And I’m hoping that as part of my position, I’ll be able to contribute to that by helping to build it up, giving individuals opportunities, and elevating some fresh voices and faces.”

Flournoy, who joined the team at the outset, guided the office through a tumultuous summer for the vice president, during which Harrisse was chastised for a series of message gaffes and personnel concerns. Republicans have pounced on any seeming gaffes by the vice president, mercilessly attacking him. One of Flournoy’s hardest moments came when a slew of stories of dysfunction engulfed the office’s messaging, many of which concentrated on the chief of staff’s leadership — and, by extension, Harris’ leadership. In the midst of those July rumors, Voles was hired. Harris praised her departing employee in a statement released on Thursday.

“Tina has been a valuable counselor and confidante to me, as well as a fantastic office leader. She led our team from the start during a historic first year, as we rebuilt our economy at home and strengthened our global relationships “Harris penned an essay. “I will continue to seek Tina’s guidance, counsel, and friendship as a superb public servant.” White House chief of staff Ron Klain praised Flournoy as “a critical member of the White House team since day one, working with the President and Vice President to make their partnership effective and help the administration deliver on critical priorities,” as he knew her before joining the White House.

“Her insight, experience, and hard work have proven critical to our success on a number of topics,” Klain added. According to aides, the first few months of Harris’ second year were particularly successful for the vice president, as she navigated major foreign policy moments without incident, including high-profile trips to Germany and Poland in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which helped cement her place among President Joe Biden’s top-ranking envoys to a continent riven by conflict.