Scott Jennings

After losing New Mexico to Al Gore in 2000 by just 366 votes, President Bush's reelection set its sights on claiming the only state that borders Texas not to go for President Bush in 2000. To that end, the campaign dispatched Jennings to manage its operations. Jennings arrived in early 2004 to find a divided state Republican Party.[14] Shortly after his arrival, the state party chairman, State Senator Ramsay Gorham, resigned both her chairmanship and legislative seat and moved out of the state. Jennings and Republican Party counterpart Jay McCleskey set about repairing the damaged party, trying to focus activists on the campaign at hand rather than the factionalism. The two worked together to recruit fifteen-thousand volunteers[15][16] who operated phone banks, went door to door, and executed a grassroots strategy that relied heavily on peer-to-peer, coalition-based activity. The Democratic establishment spent millions of dollars in the state through the Kerry for President Campaign, the state Democratic Party, and through a host of third-party organizations such as American Coming Together and Moveon.org.[17] The Democrats relied primarily on paid workers; the Bush Campaign and Republican Party utilized mostly volunteer manpower. Bush won the New Mexico election by 5,988 votes, making it one of the closest states in the nation. Along with only Iowa, New Mexico flipped from Democrat to Republican between 2000 and 2004.

Between 2000 and 2003, Jennings directed the political operations for George W. Bush's presidential campaign, Senator Mitch McConnell's reelection campaign, and Ernie Fletcher's gubernatorial campaign. All three were winners. Bush defeated Al Gore in Kentucky, a state Bill Clinton won twice, with 56.5%,[18] McConnell set a record by scoring 65% in his campaign,[19] and Fletcher became the first Republican governor in Kentucky in over 30 years by winning 55% of the vote.[20] Jennings would go on to resume his work in Kentucky in 2008, helping U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell, Congressman Brett Guthrie, and state legislative Republicans win numerous races.

In 2019, Jennings was credited with making television and radio ads for Attorney General Daniel Cameron[21], the first stand alone African-American candidate to win statewide office in Kentucky.[22] Just 33, Cameron's signature TV ad of the general election was called "Lincoln," recalling the inspiration Cameron derives from the 16th president and Kentucky native. The ad was shot in Kentucky's state capitol in Frankfort.

Jennings was mentioned in an inquiry into the politicization of the General Services Administration (GSA). At a Congressional hearing in March 2007, witnesses testified that on January 26, 2007, Jennings was present at a meeting where GSA Administrator Lurita Doan "joined in a video conference earlier this year with top GSA political appointees, who discussed ways to help Republican candidates."[23] On April 23, 2007 the U.S. Office of Special Counsel announced it was investigating the January video conference, to look at whether the political dealings of the White House have violated the Hatch Act.[24]

While the OSC has found that Doan violated the Hatch Act, Elaine Kaplan, Special Counsel during the Clinton Administration, said that "nothing in the OSC's investigative report suggests that anything improper had occurred before Doan initiated the discussion."[25] Jennings' presentation was similar in nature to several others disclosed by the White House. In fact, political briefings were routinely given to appointees in previous administrations as well, according to publications and news articles. Special Counsel Scott Bloch told the Washington Post, "Political forecasts, just generally . . . I do not regard as illegal political activity."[26] The White House has said that these briefings were purely informational and did not violate any rules. Here's how White House Deputy Press Secretary Dana Perino described the briefings to reporters: "It's not unlawful and it wasn't unusual for informational briefings to be given," Perino said. "There is no prohibition under the Hatch Act of allowing political appointees to talk to other political appointees about the political landscape in which they are trying to advance the president's agenda." She added: "These briefings were not inappropriate, they were not unlawful, they were not unethical."[27]

Jennings was involved in the dismissal of U.S. attorneys controversy in early 2007, and was among the White House Staff for whom House and Senate Judiciary Subcommittees authorized subpoenas in March. He testified on August 2, 2007 before the Judiciary Committee, invoking executive privilege and refusing to answer most questions.

However, subsequently published e-mails reflect that Jennings was directly involved in the firing of New Mexico US Attorney David Iglesias, writing in one e-mail to a White House staffer, "Iglesias has done nothing," and to another, "We are getting killed out there," adding that the White House "move forward with getting rid of the NM USATTY."[28]

In the months leading up to the dismissal of United States attorneys controversy, Jennings communicated with Justice Department officials "concerning the appointment of Tim Griffin, a former Rove aide, as U.S. attorney in Little Rock, according to e-mails released [in March, 2007]. For that exchange, Jennings, although working at the White House, used an e-mail account registered to the Republican National Committee (RNC), where Griffin had worked as a political opposition researcher."[23] The e-mail account was on gwb43.com, a previously unknown domain, hosted on an RNC mail server. Several White House officials were issued private email accounts so they could be extra cautious.

While serving as an adviser to Mitch McConnell's 2008 reelection campaign, Jennings also served as the General Consultant to Brett Guthrie, the Republican running for Congress in the open seat in Kentucky's second congressional district.

Jennings remains a political adviser to Guthrie, with his firm continuing to manage Guthrie's campaign committee.

Jennings ran a super PAC known as Kentuckians for Strong Leadership during the 2014 U.S. Senate election in Kentucky that supported the re-election of Mitch McConnell. In July 2014, Jennings told WFPL "I think the party is coming together just fine and I don't detect any problems for McConnell on GOP unity."[29]

The Jennings-led super PAC was wildly successful in the 2014 election, leading one observer to call Jennings the "third major player"[30] in the race behind the candidates themselves (Mitch McConnell and Alison Grimes). McConnell handily defeated Grimes, as Kentuckians for Strong Leadership blanketed Kentucky airwaves for months with effective radio and television advertising portraying Grimes as an adherent to the agenda of President Barack Obama.

During the race, Jennings was profiled in The New Yorker magazine, which dubbed him "the master of attack."[31] After the race, Kentucky political news show "Pure Politics" interviewed Jennings and said that he had "shaped the race in McConnell's favor."[32] The program stated: "In Jennings, McConnell has found a powerful ally with which to wage modern political warfare."

In 2016, Jennings' super PAC, Kentuckians for Strong Leadership, took on a new mission—helping Republicans gain control of the Kentucky state House of Representatives. KSL spent $2 million on 19 legislative races as the GOP went from a 53-47 minority to a 64-36 super majority. Republicans had not controlled the Kentucky house in nearly 100 years.

Following the election, "Pure Politics" again profiled Jennings, crediting KSL with helping the GOP achieve its objective.[33] The group created quite a stir in the closing days of the campaign by sending thousands of Hillary Clinton birthday cards to voters across the state, asking them to "ruin Hillary's birthday" by voting against Clinton and "every Clinton Democrat running."[34]

Jennings became a contributing columnist to the Louisville Courier-Journal in 2013, and writes a conservative column that appears every other Wednesday in the Gannet paper. Jennings's columns are frequently picked up by Gannett's flagship USA TODAY.[35] In Jennings' columns for the Louisville newspaper, he tackles policy and political issues affecting Kentucky and the nation. In 2018, Jennings won a Society of Professional Journalists award for his Courier-Journal writing.[36] Jennings' writing also appears on RealClearPolitics from time to time.[37]

In 2016, Jennings was chosen by the organizers of the Fancy Farm political picnic to serve as emcee. The annual political event, dating back to 1880, attracts Kentucky politicians for old-fashioned stump speaking. Jennings appointment as emcee did not come without minor controversy, as Democratic House Speaker Greg Stumbo announced he would not attend the picnic despite a history of alternating between Democrats and Republicans to handle the emcee duties.

Prior to the picnic's broadcast on Kentucky Educational Television, Jennings was profiled in a segment hosted by Bill Goodman.

It was announced in June 2017[38] that Jennings had joined CNN as an exclusive political contributor, along with former Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook, former Kasich chief strategist John Weaver, former Virginia attorney general Ken Cuccinelli, Obama national security alum Shawn Turner and Yale Law School associate dean and former FBI special agent Asha Rangappa.

Around the time Jennings joined CNN, it was reported in various news outlets that he had been offered but turned down[39] a senior role in the Trump White House.

Jennings was named a resident fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics (housed in the Kennedy School of Government) for the Spring 2018 semester. He taught a series of seminars on tribalism in American politics,[40] and attracted guest lecturers to his class like Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell[41] and former White House Chief of Staff and RNC Chairman Reince Priebus.[42]

In 2019, Jennings returned to Harvard's Kennedy School to serve as an Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy, teaching a course on modern American political campaigns.[43]

In 2019, Jennings began writing columns for the LA Times, and was named a contributing columnist in the Fall of 2019. His first column for the paper was called "Attitude and Gratitude: Why Republicans Stick with Trump."[44] Among other political topics, he also wrote a column heralding Tiger Woods' 2019 Master's win.[45]