Sean Spicer still plans to leave White House, official says

[August 02, 2017]  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Sean Spicer still plans to leave the White House in late August, a senior White House official said on Tuesday, ending speculation that he might stay on after the firing of former communications director Anthony Scaramucci.

President Donald Trump's decision to hire Scaramucci less than two weeks ago prompted Spicer to resign in protest.

Scaramucci lasted only 10 days in the job. He was fired on Monday after a profanity-filled tirade against then-White House chief of staff Reince Priebus and chief strategist Steve Bannon.

Spicer has since been fielding lucrative offers for his post-White House life and has found them too appealing to forsake, the official said.

Trump appointed his homeland security secretary, retired General John Kelly, to succeed Priebus after ousting him as chief of staff last week.

Former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer attends a ceremony recognizing the first responders to the June 14 shooting involving Congressman Steve Scalise at the White House in Washington, U.S. July 27, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

A senior homeland security official said Kelly is considering bringing veteran government spokesman David Lapan with him to the White House as communications director.

(Reporting By Steve Holland and John Walcott; Editing by Paul Tait)

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