Schmitt Aide’s Move To White House In Doubt Following Jack Smith Hearing

Ethan Harper, the general counsel to Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), was expected to leave his role on Friday and begin a new one in the White House Staff Secretary's office next week, according to three people familiar with the plans granted anonymity to discuss them.

But that transition was in doubt today following a congressional hearing that’s embroiled Schmitt in controversy, the people said.

Harper was the staffer standing behind Schmitt, holding up a boarddisplaying screenshots of text messages as the senator falsely accused Jack Smith of lying to Congress about attending a basketball game as a guise to investigate President Donald Trump.

The evidence on the board did not establish that Smith was at an Atlanta Hawks game as Schmitt hoped. Smith said he recalled attending a University of Maryland women’s basketball game around that time, where former Iowa star Caitlin Clark was playing. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) suggested Schmitt had confused the Iowa Hawkeyes with the Atlanta Hawks.

There is no evidence Harper was responsible for the gaffe.

Harper’s move to the White House was set before Tuesday’s hearing, according to two of the people.

Harper’s planned move would take him from Schmitt’s office to the White House office that manages the flow of documents and other materials to the president.

Harper, a Harvard Law graduate, previously worked for Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and D. John Sauer, then Missouri’s solicitor general. He also clerked for Judge W. Duane Benton of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.

Schmitt has described Harper as a crucial part of the judicial vetting process in his Senate office who interviews candidates for judicial openings.

The White House declined to comment. Schmitt’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. POLITICO attempted to contact Harper but calls were not immediately returned.

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