Top Biden aide Ron Klain expected to leave White House soon

REHOBOTH BEACH, Delaware (AP) — White House chief of staff Ron Klain, who has spent more than two years as President Joe Biden's top aide, is preparing to leave his job in the coming weeks, according to a person familiar with Klain's plans.

Klain's expected departure comes not long after the White House and Democrats had a better-than-expected showing in the November elections, buoyed by a series of major legislative accomplishments, including a bipartisan infrastructure bill and a sweeping climate, health care and tax package that all Republicans rejected.

His tenure as chief of staff is the longest for a Democratic president in modern times.

The person familiar with Klain's plans was not authorised to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity to confirm the development, which was first reported by the New York Times.

The White House did not return calls or emails seeking comment on Klain's expected exit.

Now that Republicans have regained a majority in the House, the White House is preparing to shift to a more defensive posture. GOP lawmakers are planning multiple investigations into the Biden administration, examining everything from the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan to US border policy. Republicans are pledging to investigate the president's son, Hunter Biden.

Klain's departure also comes as the White House struggles to contain the fallout after classified documents dating from Biden's time as vice president were discovered at his home in Wilmington, Delaware, and at his former institute in Washington. Attorney General Merrick Garland has appointed a special counsel to investigate the matter.

Among those on the shortlist to succeed Klain include Steve Richetti, counsellor to the president; Labour Secretary Marty Walsh; former White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients; Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack; and Anita Dunn, a White House senior adviser.

Klain, a longtime Democratic political operative, has overseen a West Wing that has been largely free of the high-stakes drama that permeated the upper echelons of the Trump administration. Klain has been an outspoken proponent of Biden's agenda via Twitter, where he frequently engages with reporters to defend the president's record.

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