AUGUSTA — A top adviser to Gov. Paul LePage who was a key intermediary between LePage and the Legislature is no longer working for the governor.

Kathleen Newman, the governor’s deputy chief of staff, “has decided to leave her position,” according to a statement issued Monday by LePage.

Before joining the LePage administration, Newman served as president and CEO of the Associated Builders and Contractors of Maine, a trade association that lobbies the Legislature. Newman, who has been with LePage since he took office in 2011, also previously operated her own political consulting firm, according to the statement from LePage.

“We are sorry to see Kathleen go, and we will miss her vast depth of knowledge, as well as her expertise and skill at dealing with legislative matters,” LePage said in a prepared statement. “But we are pleased she will now get to enjoy some much-deserved time off before she starts the next chapter in her life. We wish her well.”

Newman was frequently seen negotiating with top legislative leadership and was considered a key go-between for LePage, who has had some rocky relations with leaders from both his own Republican Party and the opposition Democrats.

It is not unusual for members of a governor’s inner circle to migrate to different jobs in the final two years of a governor’s term. LePage leaves office in January 2019, when the state’s next governor will be sworn in.

A call to Newman seeking comment was not immediately returned on Monday.

Scott Thistle can be contacted at 713-6720 or at:

sthistle@pressherald.com

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