Who Is Susie Wiles' Ex-Husband? Inside Lanny Wiles' Career, Family and Ties to Republican Politics

Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff, was married to Lanny Wiles from 1984 until their divorce in 2017. Both have long histories in Republican politics, with early ties to the Reagan White House, and the couple raised two daughters — Katie and Caroline — who have followed them into public affairs and government work.

Lanny Wiles/LinkedinLanny Wiles.

Background and Early Career

Lanny Wiles grew up in North Carolina and attended Wilkes Central High School in Wilkesboro before studying at North Carolina State University, according to his LinkedIn profile. He worked in Republican political operations for decades and has been principal of Wiles Consulting, a government affairs consulting firm, since January 1995.

Chip Somodevilla/GettySusie Wiles during an election night event on Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Political Work and Notable Campaigns

Lanny's résumé includes roles on national and state campaigns: he worked on John McCain's presidential campaigns in 2000 and 2008 and served as tour director for Rick Scott's 2010 gubernatorial campaign. Earlier in his career he was described by The New York Times as a head of the Reagan White House advance team.

Francis Chung/Politico/Bloomberg via GettySusie Wiles on Sept. 30, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

Marriage, Family and Personal Notes

Susie and Lanny married in 1984 and moved to Ponte Vedra, Florida, where they raised two daughters, Katie and Caroline. The couple divorced in 2017; Vanity Fair reported that Susie cited financial disagreements as a factor in the split. Both daughters have pursued careers in public affairs: Katie was named director of Continental Strategy’s lobby and consulting offices in Jacksonville and Washington, D.C., in November 2024 and is the mother of a son, Easton, while Caroline is vice president of federal affairs at Rubin, Turnbull & Associates and had a brief role in the Trump administration.

Chip Somodevilla/GettySusie Wiles during the "Winning the AI Race" summit on July 23, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

Notable Incidents

Early in his White House-related career, Lanny was among those present during the 1983 incident at Augusta National Golf Club when a gunman held people hostage in the pro shop; no one was injured and the assailant was later sentenced to prison, The New York Times reported.

Susie Wiles/InstagramSusie Wiles and her daughter Caroline in December 2020.

Recent Context and Public Attention

After the divorce Susie Wiles re-entered high-profile political work — including Ron DeSantis' 2018 gubernatorial campaign and organizing Florida efforts for President Donald Trump's 2020 reelection campaign — and following the November 2024 election was named White House chief of staff. A December 2024 Vanity Fair profile attributed several controversial remarks to Susie; she publicly denounced the piece on X as a "disingenuously framed hit piece," and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended her publicly.

Where Lanny Wiles Is Now

Lanny continues to operate Wiles Consulting and remains involved in Republican campaign networks and government affairs consulting. While less publicly visible than his former spouse in recent years, his long-standing ties to political campaigns and Washington operations keep him part of the broader Republican political ecosystem.

Bottom line: Lanny Wiles is a veteran Republican operative and consultant with decades of campaign experience; he and Susie Wiles were married for more than 30 years and share two daughters who now work in government affairs.