Advertisement
Advertisement

Rep. Duncan Hunter picks district director to become new chief of staff

Share

Rep. Duncan Hunter has named a new chief of staff after his long-time aide Joe Kasper announced he’s leaving Capitol Hill for a job in the Pentagon, prompting a reshuffling of the congressman’s top advisers.

Rick Terrazas, the director of the Alpine Republican’s district offices, is leaving his post in East County to become the new chief of staff. The deputy district director, Michael Harrison, will take over the top job in the field offices.

Kasper, Terrazas and Harrison have served with Hunter after they previously worked for the congressman’s father, former Rep. Duncan L. Hunter. Harrison, who was once the elder Hunter’s communications director, will take over media duties in addition to his responsibilities running the district office.

Advertisement

Terrazas, a Ramona resident, also stepped down from his position on the Ramona Community Planning Group.

Kasper announced earlier this month that he’s leaving the Hill after nearly 15 years, and will start a job at the Pentagon on Oct. 2. Kasper, a former aviation mechanic in the Air Force, will become an appointee of President Donald Trump, and will work as an assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition.

Kasper, who is 36 and has young children, said he’s ready for a change after a long-stint in Washington that included legislative duties alongside of campaign work. The new job will add invaluable experience to his resume, and, as a died-in-the-wool Republican, now is a great time make career move that could lead to even bigger things in the future, he said.

“For me, personally, for what I am interested in doing next and later in life, requires building my resume and building defense experience,” Kasper said. “For me, it’s a necessary step and one that I’m looking forward to.”

He emphasized that the career move has nothing to do with the FBI’s ongoing investigation into the congressman’s use of campaign funds, and that the change came with Hunter’s support, and the backing of other members of Congress.

“If that was the case, I would have looked to have made a change a year and a half ago. And I didn’t, and I think that should signal how important the position was to me,” Kasper said.

He said that he had an unusual amount of autonomy as chief of staff, and he appreciates the confidence the congressman placed in him, as well as his friendship.

After serving in the military and completing college, Kasper started in Washington working for now-former Rep. Rob Simmons, R-Conn. He later joined the elder Hunter’s staff and was responsible for communications and later became the legislative director before the younger Hunter was elected in 2008. Kasper became his chief of staff in 2014.

The changes in the congressman’s office comes during a FBI investigation into whether Hunter misused campaign funds. A warrant used to search Hunter’s campaign treasurer’s office in Northern Virginia indicated that agents were interested in communications between the campaign official and Hunter, Kasper, and others close to the congressman.

Twitter: @jptstewart

joshua.stewart@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1841

Advertisement