DeSantis adviser joins Heritage effort to lay groundwork for next GOP administration

A top adviser to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and former Trump administration official is joining a conservative effort to lay the groundwork at the personnel and policy level for the next Republican administration.

The Heritage Foundation announced Wednesday that David Dewhirst is joining its “Project 2025” initiative as a senior consultant. Dewhirst has worked for DeSantis’s office in Florida since April. He previously served as principal deputy general counsel at the Commerce Department during the Trump administration, advising then-Secretary Wilbur Ross on legal and policy issues.

“David Dewhirst is a top attorney in the conservative movement. He brings a wealth of experience from serving in both state and federal government,” Paul Dans, director of Project 2025, said in a statement. “We are happy to have David join us as we prepare to deconstruct the administrative state in 2025 and return power to the people.”

Dewhirst will facilitate outreach to presidential candidates and encourage potential staffers in a future GOP administration to add their names to a database Heritage is building as part of the initiative.

“For the next conservative president to succeed, the executive branch must be staffed at every level with proven, conservative leaders from across the country who will courageously and efficiently implement the president’s agenda,” Dewhirst said in a statement.

The Heritage initiative to identify possible personnel and build out detailed policy plans for the next GOP administration comes as the 2024 primary field is taking shape. Former President Trump leads most national polls, followed by DeSantis. Former Vice President Mike Pence, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) and Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.) are among the others in the race.

Heritage previously announced that John McEntee, who served as then-President Trump’s personal assistant before leading the White House Presidential Personnel Office, was joining Project 2025 as a senior adviser.

McEntee worked on Trump’s campaign and later joined the White House before his firing in March 2018 for undisclosed security reasons. He later returned to lead the personnel office in 2020, where he reportedly sought out loyalists to serve in the administration.