Kate Bedingfield is leaving as White House communications director

Longtime Biden aide Kate Bedingfield is leaving the White House and her role as communications director — for real this time — and will be replaced by another longtime Biden ally, Ben LaBolt.

The White House had previously announced that Bedingfield would be departing last summer, but she made a last-minute decision to stay on longer.

Bedingfield officially leaves her post at the end of February. LaBolt worked for Mr. Biden as his communications director when he was vice president, and headed up communications during the confirmation process for Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. LaBolt is currently a partner at communications firm Bully Pulpit Interactive. He will be the first openly gay White House communications director, according to the Biden administration.

"Since my time as Vice President, Kate has been a loyal and trusted adviser, through thick and thin," President Biden said in a statement. "She was a critical strategic voice from the very first day of my presidential campaign in 2019 and has been a key part of advancing my agenda in the White House. The country is better off as a result of her hard work and I'm so grateful to her — and to her husband and two young children — for giving so much."

"Ben has big shoes to fill," Mr. Biden's statement continued. "I look forward to welcoming him back as a first-rate communicator who's shown his commitment to public service again and again, and who has a cutting-edge understanding of how Americans consume information. I saw him fight for Justice Jackson, and he put his all into helping us make history confirming our cabinet and subcabinet nominees. I'm proud to have him rejoin this team."

Bedingfield's departure and LaBolt's new role are just the latest recent staffing changes for the White House. Jeff Zients is now the White House chief of staff, after Ron Klain officially departed this week.

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