Patrick Witt, the White House’s leading crypto policy official, is set to step away from his role later this month for several months of mandatory military training.
Witt will begin training later this month to qualify to serve as a military attorney.
The 37-year-old official is expected to complete his White House duties next Friday. He previously worked at the Department of Defense before joining the administration last August.
His departure comes as Senate Republicans push to advance the Clarity Act, whose odds of passage are even lower following Witt’s departure.
Critical timing
Sources familiar with the situation said that while the timing of Witt’s leave is unfortunate, the move was unavoidable. Witt had applied for the JAG program before joining the White House and had already postponed his training once in order to continue working on Clarity Act negotiations.
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During his time as the administration’s top crypto liaison. He helped to solve several contentious issues surrounding the legislation.
A critical week
Witt’s planned departure comes shortly after he described the current period as a decisive moment for the Clarity Act.
He has argued that lawmakers could no longer afford additional delays after months of work on the legislation.
The White House has also urged the Senate to move forward with the bill. However, the bill’s passage remains uncertain. It still faces the challenge of securing at least 60 votes in the Senate due to filibuster rules.
Witt’s absence could add more uncertainty to an already complicated legislative process.
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