Paul Teller

Paul Scott Teller (born February 21, 1971) is the executive director of Advancing American Freedom in Washington DC, Mike Pence's advocacy organization. Teller previously served under President Donald Trump as Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs, as well Director of Strategic Affairs for Vice President Mike Pence. Earlier, Teller had been chief of staff for Texas Senator Ted Cruz and executive director of the United States House of Representatives Republican Study Committee. In a profile published shortly after Cruz appointed Teller his chief of staff, The Hill described him as "Cruz's agitator in chief." In January 2017, Trump and Pence appointed him Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs, with a focus on Senate and House conservatives. In February 2020, Pence appointed Teller as Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Vice President. Early life Raised on Long Island, Teller graduated from Duke University in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and earned a Doctorate in Philosophy in the subject at American University in 1999. Congressional career After receiving his doctorate, Teller became a professional staff member for the Committee on House Administration under Rep. Bill Thomas of California. In 2001, he became legislative director for the Republican Study Committee, later rising to deputy director and executive director of it. In 2010, a Washington Post profile called Teller "one of the most influential conservative aides in Congress."