Ashley Callen, Speaker Mike Johnson’s general counsel and a longtime fixture of House Republican politics, is retiring from Capitol Hill after two decades.
Callen, a graduate of George Mason Law School, started her career working for former Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) before beginning a long career in the oversight realm, working for the House Oversight Committee under former Chair Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.). Callen worked for the House Agriculture Committee, the Science, Space and Technology Committee and the Judiciary Committee before returning to Oversight under Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and James Comer (R-Ky.).
Callen entered the leadership in 2023, working for House Majority Leader Steve Scalise before making the leap to Johnson’s office in November 2023.
Here’s Johnson’s statement:
“Ashley served in the highest levels of the House and guided Republicans through an array of complex and high-profile matters, including multiple impeachments and other House-wide investigations. In the Speaker’s Office and throughout her career in the House, Ashley has advised on the establishment of several select subcommittees, task forces, and advisory groups to address the most challenging issues, and launched novel and consequential oversight initiatives at several committees of jurisdiction. We are grateful for her expertise, counsel, and dedication to the institution and the Speaker’s Office. We wish Ashley, Greg, Charley, Caroline, and G all the best as Ashley begins the next chapter of her career.”
Also: Scott Sloofman, a former top aide to former Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, is joining Bullpen Strategy Group.
Sloofman served as staff director for the Senate Republican Communications Center and as a senior McConnell adviser on communications since 2019.
