Top Mitch McConnell aide leaving the Hill
John Ashbrook, a top aide to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, is leaving Capitol Hill after more than 10 years. The staff director of the Senate Republican Communications Center and a key to the GOPâs messaging strategy, Ashbrook is expected to depart the GOP leaderâs office in February. A fixture in the halls of the Capitol, Ashbrook is credited with helping launch the communications center in 2007, a centralized messaging hub that goes toe-to-toe on a daily basis with its Democratic counterpart, the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee. Story Continued Below âAshbrook is an incredibly talented guy. He was instrumental to winning the majority and heâll play a big role in our effort to build upon that success,â McConnell said of his longtime aide, who for several consecutive elections took leave from McConnellâs staff to work on the campaign trail. A replacement for Ashbrook is expected to be announced in the coming days, aides said. Josh Holmes, McConnellâs former chief of staff, said that Ashbrook helped boost the GOP communications bullpen past the ânatural tensionâ between the messaging arm and the more well-established Senate Republican Conference, another key cog in the Capitolâs messaging wars. Ashbrook declined to disclose his next gig but is expected to continue to work in GOP political circles â and McConnell Land â after eight years in McConnellâs office and work on four successful GOP campaigns: Two McConnell reelect efforts and the Senate wins of Rand Paul of Kentucky and Jeff Flake of Arizona. McConnellâs current chief of staff Brian McGuire said Ashbrookâs skills are likely to âinstantly endear him to everybody he meetsâ at his next gig. Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) gave Ashbrook his first job on Capitol Hill as his driver in 2004, when Portman was in the House. The two still talk frequently, a rarity on the Hill. âWhat can I say? Heâs like the most honest, high-integrity guy in the Capitol. So Iâm sorry to be losing him,â Portman said. âWhen he worked for me he had long hair, it came down like this in kind of a swoop. Thatâs how long ago it was.â Ashbrookâs departure from the Hill reflects that itâs a good time to be a well-connected Republican. The GOP controls both chambers of Congress for the first time since 2007 and several other longtime senior Republican aides are expected to announce new jobs off the Hill over the next few weeks.