INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - One of Indiana Gov. Mike Pence’s closest confidants announced Wednesday he is leaving the Statehouse to start a political consulting firm.
Bill Smith announced he was leaving his job as Pence’s chief of staff after 16 months effective May 9. Smith has been a top aide to Pence since the Republican was first elected to Congress in 2000.
Pence called Smith’s contributions to his administration “incalculable” and thanked him for his service.
“I will always be grateful for his tireless service to the state of Indiana,” Pence said in a statement. “His integrity and strong leadership as director of our transition team and then as my chief of staff contributed significantly to our success.”
While Smith’s formal work with the governor’s office is ending, he is expected to continue as a political adviser. Smith is starting a political consulting firm and will likely keep Pence as a client while taking on additional work.
Pence’s supporters have mentioned the governor as a possible White House contender in 2016. But Pence has been mum on his future plans, saying only that he’s dedicated to his current job. If Pence does run, Smith would play a key role.
Smith is the first member of Pence’s tightly knit inner circle to decamp, a little more than a year since Pence took office. A number of former Gov. Mitch Daniels’ staffers stuck by Pence to help with his transition last year but left after a few months.
Pence also lost his former chief lobbyist, Heather Neal, in the midst of a grade-changing scandal which engulfed former Schools Superintendent Tony Bennett. Neal had previously worked as Bennett’s chief of staff.
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