Former Arizona Trump campaign boss DeWit to leave NASA, return to state

PHOENIX – Less than two years into his job as NASA’s chief financial officer, Jeff DeWit said he will be stepping down this week, citing a desire to return home to his family in Arizona.

DeWit, the former Arizona treasurer, retweeted an industry website SpaceRef on Tuesday that shared a copy of his memo announcing his departure to staff. His last day will be Thursday.

DeWit has been on the job since 2018 after earning unanimous Senate approval.

He was nominated by President Donald Trump in November 2017 after serving as chief operating officer in Trump’s campaign. Before that, DeWit led the state campaign effort for the billionaire.

NASA CFO Jeff DeWit Is Leaving NASA https://t.co/zTknPCoV6k

— NASA Watch (@NASAWatch) February 12, 2020

“Know that my decision to leave NASA and over five years of public service (counting my previous 3+ years as State Treasurer of Arizona) and rejoin the private business world in Arizona was not an easy one as I absolutely love NASA,” DeWit wrote.

He had been in talks with the space agency about leaving since December, he said in the memo. He waited until the budget was rolled out to leave, he said.

DeWit said he had only been able to see his family one weekend a month, and during especially busy times he could only get to Arizona one every five weeks.

He wasn’t specific about his future, noting only that was he rejoining the private sector.

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