U.S. Congressmember Jamie Raskin, (D-8th), announced changes to his staff as he begins a new term in the 118th Congress.
Julie Tagen, Raskin’s chief of staff since he became a member of Congress, will continue to work with Raskin but in his new role as the ranking member of the U.S. House Oversite Committee.
She will be replaced as Raskin’s chief of staff by Leesa Klepper, who has been senior counsel for the House Oversight and Reform Committee focused on health care. She also served as counsel with the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee and spent more than 10 years as an adjunct professor at American University Washington College of Law, where Raskin is professor of law emeritus.
The two worked together on the law school’s law and government program, developing and implementing academic initiatives.
She is a graduate of Yale College and Harvard Law School and lives in the 8th District, which covers much of Montgomery County. Raskin, who recently announced he has Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphomia, praised her “passion for teamwork, enduring commitment to public service and impressive experience as a lawyer and manager in academia and the private sector.”
On announcing Tagen’s departure, Raskins said, “I am so grateful for all of Julie’s hard work, amazing knowledge of Capitol Hill and passionate commitment to the success of our office.”
In her new role, Tagen will work with Raskin “to build a lean and effective team of investigators, lawyers and communications personnel to act with Members of our Committee as a truth squad against the coming tides of conspiracy theory and disinformation,” Raskin said.
During the Jan. 6 riots in the U.S. Capitol, Tagen sequestered as rioters stormed the government building.
Raskin also announced that Kathleen Connor, his director of district office, is now his district chief and will continue to lead the district office. “Kathleen has been indispensable to me since I entered politics and indeed before that,” Raskin said.
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