Steve Ricchetti
Counselor to the President
Assumed office
January 20, 2021
Serving with Jeffrey Zients (2021–2022)
PresidentJoe Biden
Preceded byHope Hicks
Derek Lyons
Chief of Staff to the Vice President
In office
December 1, 2013 – January 20, 2017
Vice PresidentJoe Biden
Preceded byBruce Reed
Succeeded byJosh Pitcock
White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations
In office
October 20, 1998 – January 20, 2001
PresidentBill Clinton
Preceded byJohn Podesta
Succeeded byJoe Hagin
Personal details
Bornc. 1957 (age 66–67)
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseAmy Ricchetti
Children4
EducationMiami University (BA)
George Mason University (JD)

Steven J. Ricchetti (born c. 1957)[1] is an American political aide serving as a Counselor to the President under President Joe Biden.[2] He was the chairman of Joe Biden's 2020 presidential campaign.[3] Ricchetti previously served as Chief of Staff to Vice President Biden during the Obama administration and Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations under President Bill Clinton. In between stints in Democratic administrations, Ricchetti has worked as a lobbyist.[4]

Early life and education

Steven J. Ricchetti[5] grew up in Westlake, Ohio and graduated from Westlake High School.[6]

He received his undergraduate degree from Miami University in Ohio (where he served as student body president[7]) in 1979, and his Juris Doctor from the George Mason University School of Law.[8][9]

Career

Ricchetti (left) in the Oval Office with senior White House advisors, 2014
Ricchetti with President Joe Biden and Ron Klain in the Oval Office, 2021

Ricchetti led the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association's political department from 1987 to 1989 and was executive director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee from 1990 to 1992.[5][9] In the latter role, Ricchetti oversaw the upset victory of Democratic candidate Harris Wofford in the 1991 special election for Senate in Pennsylvania.[9][10]

From January 1993 to February 1996, he was a White House staffer in the Clinton administration, holding the title of Deputy Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs. In this role, Ricchetti was President Clinton's principal liaison to the Senate.[5][9] Ricchetti conducted work for the administration on the economic recovery act of 1993, the Telecommunications Act of 1996, and other legislation.[9]

From 1996 to 1998, Ricchetti was in the private sector, engaged in lobbying for clients[5] at the governmental relations firm Public Strategies Washington (PSW).[11] In September 1998, he returned to the White House, where he was tasked with handling relations with congressional Democrats amidst the impeachment proceedings against Clinton.[5] In January 1999, Ricchetti became deputy White House chief of staff (succeeding John Podesta) and gained a larger portfolio.[5] In 2000, Ricchetti was appointed to President Clinton's task force on China PNTR (permanent normalized trade relations) during the president's last year. Along with Commerce Secretary William M. Daley, Ricchetti "led the Administration's successful campaign to secure permanent normal trade relations with China"[9][12] and coordinated with leaders of major U.S. corporations, such as Boeing, American Online and Intel to "sell the benefits of the trade accord to Congress and the public.”[13]

In January 2001, Ricchetti founded and ran Ricchetti, Inc., a government relations (lobbying) and political consulting firm, with his brother Jeff Ricchetti.[9][14] Over the following years, Ricchetti's firm represented a number of clients, including AT&T, Eli Lilly & Co., the American Hospital Association, United Technologies, the American Council of Life Insurers and the American Bankers Association.[15]

In March 2012 he was appointed to be counselor to Vice President Joe Biden.[15] Ricchetti had deregistered as a congressional lobbyist in late 2008 shortly after the election of Obama and Biden to the presidency and vice presidency, respectively.[15] Ricchetti's appointment was controversial due to President Obama's promise to not appoint lobbyists[16][17] and his issuance of "a tough new ethics policy meant to curb the revolving door between his administration and K street."[15] Because Ricchetti had not lobbied personally for over two years, he did not require a waiver from the administration's policy.[15] A statement from Biden's office in 2012 said that since 2008, Ricchetti had "advised clients on public policy, communications strategy, and grassroots efforts but did not act as a lobbyist with the federal government on behalf of any client."[18] The Washington Post reported Ricchetti earned $1.8 million from his firm, Ricchetti Inc., the year before his appointment, and was owed another $217,000 from work he completed the same year as his appointment.[18] In December 2013, Ricchetti succeeded Bruce Reed as chief of staff to the vice president, with the rank of Assistant to the President.[19]

Ricchetti was the chief planner for a possible Biden run in the 2016 presidential election. (Biden ultimately decided not to run.)[20][21]

Ricchetti was the chairman of Biden's presidential campaign in the 2020 elections, leading the campaign's efforts to raise funds from Wall Street financiers.[22]

On November 16, 2020, it was announced that Ricchetti would become a Counselor to the President in the incoming Biden administration.[2]

Ricchetti, along with Shalanda Young and Louisa Terrell, was tapped to lead the Democratic side in negotiations over the 2023 United States debt-ceiling crisis. Representative Garret Graves, a key Kevin McCarthy ally and point person on debt and budget issues, was tapped to lead the Republican side.[23]

Other activities

Ricchetti is on the board of advisors of the Center for Congress at Indiana University.[9] He formerly served on the boards of the Center for American Progress, Trust for the National Mall, and Bloomberg Government before stepping down from those positions to take a post in Biden's office as Counselor to the Vice President.[18]

Personal life

Ricchetti lives in McLean, Virginia. He has four children with his wife, Amy.[9]

References

  1. ↑ Thrush, Glenn (November 18, 2020). "Steve Ricchetti". The New York Times. p. A17. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  2. 1 2 Shear, Michael D.; Glueck, Katie (November 17, 2020). "President-Elect to Name Key White House Jobs". The New York Times. p. A14. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  3. ↑ Hinman, Kristen (October 26, 2020). "These Are the Most Influential Operatives on the Biden Campaign".
  4. ↑ "Biden whisperer, longtime Washington lobbyist helps secure breakthrough in infrastructure talks". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Robert Pear & John Broder, In a Lobby-Happy Washington, Politics Can Be Even Thicker Than Blood, New York Times (September 5, 2000).
  6. ↑ Stephen Koff, Joe Biden's Buckeyes: the vice president really likes hiring Ohioans, Cleveland Plain Dealer (April 4, 2016).
  7. ↑ Stephen Koff, Westlake native becomes chief of staff for Vice President Joe Biden, Cleveland Plain Dealer (November 13, 2016).
  8. ↑ Mike Allen, Playbook, Politico (November 13, 2013).
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Steve Ricchetti: President, Ricchetti, Inc. Archived April 19, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Center for Congress at Indiana University (accessed April 5, 2016).
  10. ↑ Robert Zausner, "Casey's Backstage Role Was A Key To Senate Win," Philadelphia Inquirer (December 10, 1991).
  11. ↑ Bill McAllister, McCurry, Caught in the Texas Net, Washington Post (November 19, 1998).
  12. ↑ "Remarks on Permanent Normal Trade Relations With China and an Exchange With Reporters". American Presidency Project. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  13. ↑ Kahn, Joseph (January 11, 2000). "White House Steps Up Efforts for China Trade Deal". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
  14. ↑ Pear, Robert; Broder, John M. (September 5, 2000). "In a Lobby-Happy Washington, Politics Can Be Even Thicker Than Blood". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 T.W. Farnam, Biden hires former lobbyist, Washington Post (March 5, 2012).
  16. ↑ Dana Milbank, Settling in to Washington's ways, Washington Post (March 7, 2012).
  17. ↑ Emmarie Huetteman, Former Lobbyist Becomes Biden Chief of Staff, New York Times (November 13, 2013).
  18. 1 2 3 Farnam, T. W. (April 25, 2012). "Don't cry for Biden counselor Steve Ricchetti". Washington Post. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  19. ↑ Vice President Biden Announces New Chief of Staff, White House Press Office (November 13, 2013).
  20. ↑ Colleen McCain Nelson & Carol E. Lee, Joe Biden Supporters Ramp Up a Campaign-in-Waiting, Wall Street Journal (September 13, 2015).
  21. ↑ Edward-Isaac Dovere, The man plotting Biden 2016: Steve Ricchetti is the man behind the vice president and possible late-entry presidential candidate, Politico (September 2, 2015).
  22. ↑ Schwartz, Brian (January 13, 2020). "Joe Biden's campaign chairman rallies Wall Street donors for a big fundraising push ahead of primaries". CNBC. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  23. ↑ "Debt limit progress as Biden, McCarthy name top negotiators to avert national default". Associated Press. May 16, 2023.
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