Romney's Deputy Campaign Manager Resigns
Hot Line Blog
April 24, 2007

Ex-MA Gov. Mitt Romney's deputy campaign manager has resigned, a Romney aide confirmed to the Hotline Tuesday.

Jason Roe, who functioned as the campaign's top daily operating officer, told campaign officials today that he planned to leave.

"Jason informed the campaign on Tuesday that he decided to resign, citing familial obligations," said Matt Rhoades, Romney's communications director, in a prepared statement. "We understood and accepted what must have been a hard decision."

Roe, like several top Romney aides, commutes between Boston and Washington. Roe's wife lives in the D.C. area.

Roe was hired by the campaign after serving as chief of staff to Rep. Tom Feeney since 2003. He has also managed several congressional races. On Monday, the St. Petersburg Times reported that FBI agents had asked Feeney about a 2003 golfing trip with convicted ex-lobbyist Jack Abramoff. The Times also reported that the FBI asked the newspaper to turn over an e-mail Roe sent to the paper. The e-mail's contents, according to the paper, included the sentence: "Any assertion that this office knew Abramoff paid for the Scotland trip is a g--d----- lie."

Roe told the Times on Monday that he had not been contacted by the FBI. A Romney aide said that Roe's departure was not linked to his job performance. [MARC AMBINDER]

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