Susie Wiles resigned as Donald Trump’s chief of staff last week, as Republicans absorbed a devastating midterm defeat that gave Democrats control of both the House and Senate.

At 69, Wiles served as the president’s chief gatekeeper, controlling access to Trump and determining which issues reached the Resolute Desk.

After the loss, Republican figures and MAGA influencers turned against her, with some calling for Wiles to accept responsibility for the party’s failure.

Calley Means, a former senior aide to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., went further. He accused Wiles of prioritizing the donors financing the midterm effort over the interests of voters.

In a bombshell interview with Joe Rogan, Means alleged that Wiles intervened to stop a federal review of children’s sugar consumption. According to Means, she told him: ‘I need the sugar industry money. I need the money for the midterms.’

Wiles rejected the allegation. A spokesperson described it as ‘outrageous, defamatory, and provably false.’

Representative Robert Garcia, the California Democrat expected to chair the House Oversight Committee, said he nevertheless plans to examine Means’ claims. Attorney General Todd Blanche has said the Justice Department will not open an investigation.

The controversy has intensified scrutiny of the money flowing through Trump’s Washington, where corporations pay lobbying firms millions of dollars to influence federal policy.

Wiles’ younger daughter Caroline, 40, married Bret Worley, 30, at Trump’s Virginia winery in June

Former White House chief of staff Susie Wiles with her younger daughter Caroline

Before entering the White House, Wiles spent almost a decade as a managing partner at Ballard Partners, leaving the firm in 2019. Its federal lobbying revenue climbed from under $20 million in 2024 to more than $88 million last year. Senate records show the firm brought in over $98 million during the first nine months of this year.

Brian Ballard, the firm’s founder and a major Trump fundraiser, said Sunday that Ballard Partners’ dealings with Wiles while she was chief of staff ‘have been limited and have been the exception, not the rule.’

Both of Wiles’s daughters are also involved in Washington’s lobbying and business networks, although a White House official said last month that Wiles ‘does not discuss work matters with her daughters.’

Wiles’s older daughter, Katie, is a partner at Continental Strategy, a lobbying firm that receives $35,000 a month from Republika Srpska, a pro-Russian region of Bosnia.

Katie came under scrutiny last month after a photograph surfaced showing her holding a rifle alongside the region’s interior minister, who has received an honor from Vladimir Putin. Her firm said she has never discussed the region with U.S. officials.

Wiles’s younger daughter, Caroline, 40, married into another politically significant industry. Her husband, Bret Worley, 30, whom she wed at Trump’s Virginia winery in June, operates a hemp business.

His company, MC Nutraceuticals, supplies brands with hemp-derived THC, the intoxicating compound in marijuana used in products including gummies, vapes and beverages.

A legal loophole has allowed companies such as his to sell THC products at gas stations and smoke shops throughout the United States. Congress voted last November to close that loophole, prompting industry warnings that the ban could destroy the sector.

Trump called on Congress in April to revise the measure. ‘We must get this done RIGHT and FAST,’ he wrote on Truth Social.

The Daily Mail can now disclose that, one week later, money from the hemp industry was paid to a little-known company operated by Caroline.

The political fund of Hemp Industry & Farmers of America, or HIFA, a trade association opposing the ban, paid $15,000 to Retriever Consulting, where Caroline is listed as manager. Retriever was established by her future father-in-law, Jeff Worley. His son Bret, whom Caroline married several weeks after the payment, had previously served on HIFA’s board.

The ban was ultimately delayed and moved into the year-end funding legislation, which lawmakers must approve by December 11.

The White House has previously denied that Wiles pushed for the delay.

Trump and Wiles share lunch at the White House in March

Jeff Worley and Caroline Wiles celebrate their engagement in the Lombardy Alps

A spokeswoman for Caroline said Retriever was ‘no longer in use and in the process of termination.’ She added that Caroline ‘has not lobbied for HIFA or any specific company.’

Caroline also serves as vice president of federal affairs at Rubin, Turnbull & Associates, a Florida lobbying firm. Its federal lobbying revenue rose from below $200,000 in 2024 to more than $7 million in 2025, Wiles’s first year in the West Wing. Senate records show the firm’s revenue exceeded $8 million during the first nine months of this year.

Caroline is not registered as a federal lobbyist.

The $15,000 HIFA payment to Caroline’s company is now prompting ethics concerns and could give Democrats additional ammunition when they regain subpoena power in the next Congress.

‘Fifteen thousand doesn’t seem to be a huge amount of money, but you have got to do something for it,’ Richard Painter, who served as chief White House ethics lawyer under George W. Bush, told the Daily Mail.

‘I think one of the questions that would come up is what services did the daughter perform for the contract?’ Painter said. ‘I would have to do quite a bit of work to get $15,000.’

Painter said the timing of the payment ‘will certainly draw questions from Congress’ and that lawmakers could subpoena records related to the deal ‘come January,’ when Democrats take control of the chamber they won last week.

‘These Trump-related lobbying firms have got very, very wealthy on the Trump administration,’ said Craig Holman, a lobbying specialist with the watchdog organization Public Citizen.

‘This is a clear line of direct influence peddling,’ he told the Daily Mail. ‘Unfortunately it’s not illegal but it does mark everything about the Trump administration.’

‘If we got rid of someone like Susie Wiles out of the administration, someone like Caroline Wiles would not have that type of influence,’ Holman said before Wiles resigned.

The Daily Mail has sought comment from the White House, Susie Wiles, Rubin Turnbull and the Worley family.

David Walliams’ career suffered a dramatic collapse this week, but the controversy surrounding the comedian began in 2022 with a scandal involving Britain’s Got Talent.

The 55-year-old was identified this week as the celebrity who sought a court order to suppress allegations that he sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl and preyed on several teenage girls while allegedly abusing his position to exploit them.

Walliams denies any criminal wrongdoing and insists that he is “not a sexual predator”.

The repercussions were swift. Literary agency Independent Talent dropped the author from its roster, the BBC began removing his programmes from iPlayer and Sky ended its collaborations with him. The broadcaster also confirmed it would not distribute a film adaptation of his 2019 novel Fing!.

Four years ago, Walliams had already spent a decade as a judge on ITV’s prime-time family show Britain’s Got Talent. During that period, he won the National Television Award for best TV judge four times, while his books sold 40 million copies worldwide.

But in November 2022, he stepped away from the high-profile role after recordings of derogatory and sexually explicit remarks about contestants were obtained and published by The Guardian. 

The remarks were made during breaks in filming at the London Palladium auditions in 2020. In one recording, Walliams referred to an elderly contestant as a “c***” three times after she left the stage.

David Walliams’ career suffered a dramatic collapse this week, but the controversy surrounding the comedian began with a 2022 Britain’s Got Talent scandal

He also described another woman as “like the slightly boring girl you meet in the pub that thinks you want to f*** them, but you don’t”.

Walliams apologised, saying: “These were private conversations and – like most conversations with friends – were never intended to be shared. Nevertheless, I am sorry.”

He later sued the programme’s producer, Fremantle, alleging misuse of private information and breaches of data protection law.

The former Little Britain star reportedly claimed in court documents that producers had “recorded, transcribed and retained” his conversations throughout his decade on the show. He said he had not realised that his microphone had been “kept on and recording” for the entire filming day.

Walliams alleged that about 1,700 hours of audio had been collected. He also said he had suffered severe depression since leaving the show and experienced “active suicidal thoughts”.

The legal dispute ended in an “amicable resolution”, with the production company apologising for the recordings becoming public.

The scandal marked the start of Walliams’ professional downfall.

Piers Morgan, who served as a Britain’s Got Talent judge from 2007 to 2010 and has a long-running public feud with Walliams, called the comedian “one of the nastiest frauds in TV” in a tweet responding to the reports.

Walliams pictured with his Britain’s Got Talent co-stars, from left, Ant McPartlin, Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and Declan Donnelly

Morgan also claimed, without providing evidence, that the recordings represented only the “tip of the iceberg” of Walliams’ alleged behaviour.

Simon Cowell, the show’s creator and head judge, also distanced himself from Walliams. Sources said Cowell feared his former co-star was “not a good person”.

It has since emerged that around the time Walliams left Britain’s Got Talent in November 2022, The Guardian first approached him about allegations of inappropriate conduct. The claims were denied and no story was published.

In May 2023, The Guardian and ITV News agreed to work together on an investigation into Walliams.

That year, Cally Poplak, who had recently become HarperCollins’ head of children’s books, also launched an inquiry into his conduct after concerns were raised by members of staff.

At least five female employees reportedly provided evidence during the investigation. It concluded in 2024 without consequences for Walliams. However, one employee who contributed to the inquiry was reportedly paid a five-figure settlement before leaving the company.

HarperCollins did not drop the author until December 2025, when it announced, following a change of chief executive, that it would no longer handle new Walliams releases.

Walliams left his Britain’s Got Talent judging role in November 2022 after recordings of derogatory and sexually explicit comments about contestants were leaked

The Daily Telegraph reported that HarperCollins had opened an internal investigation the previous year after a junior employee complained about Walliams’ behaviour.

The inquiry reportedly found that employees had been instructed to meet Walliams in pairs and advised not to visit his home.

Walliams’ spokesman said he “strongly denies that he has behaved inappropriately” and had “never been informed of any allegations raised against him” by the publisher.

In September 2026, HarperCollins said it would no longer represent Walliams’ back catalogue. As a result, his books would not be restocked once existing shop supplies were exhausted.

On Tuesday, a three-year joint investigation by ITV News and The Guardian published a series of allegations dating back to 2003, with some accusers said to have been as young as 15. Walliams denies all the allegations.

A High Court judge had previously rejected Walliams’ attempt to block publication of the allegations, although he was granted permission to appeal and his identity was temporarily protected.

However, the comedian and author missed a 4.30pm deadline on Monday to take his case to the Court of Appeal, allowing him to be named.

The allegations were published by ITV News and The Guardian the following day.

In a statement to both outlets, Walliams said: “Looking back, I realise that at times I behaved thoughtlessly towards other people I had casual sexual relationships with… I realise I did not always take people’s feelings properly into account. That is something I regret.

“And whilst a power imbalance is inevitable when one party is famous, abusing that power is something else entirely and it is something that I never did…

“I am not a sexual predator… I have not broken the law… I am devastated that some of the women I met ten to twenty years ago have now expressed hurt or anger towards me.”

Comedian Johnny Vegas has faced renewed scrutiny over an account from 18 years ago in which he was accused of kissing and groping a young woman during a performance.

Vegas, now 56, was alleged to have invited the woman, reportedly aged 18 or 19, onto the stage during a show at London’s Bloomsbury Theatre.

Journalist Mary O’Hara wrote at the time that Vegas kissed and groped the woman during the performance, describing the incident as leaving her “disgusted”.

Representatives for Vegas said the scene was consensual audience participation and that the woman had willingly agreed to take part.

Ms O’Hara described the “nervous” young woman being carried onto the stage by six audience members, referred to as “pallbearers”, before being told to lie still.

According to her account, Vegas crouched beside the woman while repeatedly saying, “don’t f***ing move”. She wrote that he then ran his hand up the woman’s leg and began pulling up her skirt.

“Each time he looked up to speak to the audience, she reached down and pulled her skirt back into place, but he continued to pull it up,” she wrote.

Ms O’Hara added that the more the woman was groped, the more anxious one of the “pallbearers” appeared. She alleged that Vegas then straddled the woman, pinning her to the floor, and kissed her for an extended period.

Ms O’Hara said about half the audience laughed along before Vegas asked whether the stage curtain could be lowered.

Vegas, then 55, was alleged to have brought the woman, reportedly aged 18 or 19, onto the stage during a performance at London’s Bloomsbury Theatre, where he was accused of kissing and groping her

Journalist Mary O’Hara wrote that Vegas kissed the woman on stage and described the incident as leaving her “disgusted”

When the curtain was not lowered, comedian Simon Munnery, who had performed earlier, reportedly returned to the stage carrying a coat and used it to shield the pair from view.

The account has resurfaced amid renewed attention on the entertainment industry following Russell Brand’s conviction for rape and sexual assault, as well as an investigation into allegations concerning David Walliams.

After Ms O’Hara’s article was published, Vegas began legal proceedings against its publisher, The Guardian.

The newspaper later amended the article, stating that Vegas’s lawyers had been in contact with the young woman, who reportedly told them she had “gone along with the joke willingly” and had not felt intimidated, frightened or abused.

The performance also prompted complaints on the NOTBBC forum. One attendee wrote that while no subject should necessarily be off-limits in comedy, even when the material was “lazy nonsense”, that principle applied to “words and ideas”.

“Once you’ve got someone pinned down on the stage, it becomes a rather different matter,” the attendee wrote. “I honestly don’t know what to think. Really, did no one else see it?”

Debate over the entertainment industry’s treatment of women intensified this week after Brand, 51, was sentenced to ten years and six months in prison for one count of rape and three sexual assaults.

On Tuesday, The Guardian and ITN published a series of allegations concerning comedian and writer David Walliams.

The allegations, which date back to 2003, include claims that Walliams “groomed” teenagers as young as 15 in an attempt to have sex with them. He denies the allegations and has said he is not a “sexual predator”.

Vegas, who is also an actor, has in recent years stepped back from stand-up comedy to concentrate on other projects.

The Daily Mail has contacted Vegas’s representatives for comment.

Have YOU got a story? Email elizabeth.haigh@dailymail.co.uk

Previously unseen footage appears to show disgraced film star Gérard Depardieu allegedly sexually assaulting a young woman on a film set.

The clip shows the 77-year-old repeatedly touching the intimate areas of a 22-year-old extra, identified by her first name as Olivia.

The footage was recorded during production of Turf, a horse-racing comedy starring Depardieu that was released in 2013.

Olivia, whose account was investigated by Paris-based outlet Mediapart, said: “He put his hand on my buttocks — both of them — for a long time.”

She said he then “put his hand into my cleavage… touching my chest several times” before beginning again from behind.

Olivia said she “tried by every means possible to remove” his hand, but claimed that “he would start again from behind.”

Mediapart reported that, as the alleged assault continued, Olivia realised “her panties were no longer enough to protect her.”

The alleged touching was not part of the script for Turf, in which Depardieu starred. Since 2018, 22 women have accused the actor of sexual violence.

Footage appears to show Gérard Depardieu allegedly assaulting a young woman on a film set

The previously unseen clip appears to show the 77-year-old repeatedly touching a 22-year-old extra identified as Olivia

Depardieu appears to reach towards the woman’s crotch in the video

During that period, Depardieu was charged with rape and convicted of assaulting two women.

French law, unlike British law, allows media organisations to report allegations against a criminal suspect after the person has been indicted.

The video published by Mediapart and Le Média appears to challenge Depardieu’s claim that he has never touched a woman without her consent.

The scene from Turf, directed by Fabien Onteniente, was filmed on November 2, 2011, at Auteuil racecourse on the outskirts of Paris, with around 150 extras involved.

Several witnesses later came forward and supported Olivia’s account. However, no formal action was taken at the time beyond Onteniente speaking to Depardieu “at the end of the day.”

Onteniente, 68, told Mediapart that Olivia approached him “in tears,” prompting him to confront the actor.

“I told him, ‘Don’t you ever do that again. It’s over — I don’t want to deal with any more of your bullshit — behave yourself,’” Onteniente said.

“Do you realise what you’re doing? The camera was at a low angle; what you’re doing is visible. Do you realise the image you’re projecting?”

Twenty-two women have accused Depardieu of sexual violence

Onteniente said the actor appeared “sheepish, acting like a child who’s done something wrong.”

Chez Wam and Pathé, the production companies behind Turf, declined to comment.

On Monday, Depardieu is due to appeal his conviction and suspended prison sentence for assaulting two women on a separate film set.

A major figure in cinema who rose to fame through films including Green Card and The Last Metro, Depardieu received an 18-month suspended sentence, a fine equivalent to £25,000 and an order to join France’s sex offenders register. The penalties relate to his conduct on the set of The Green Shutters (Les Volets Verts) in 2021.

The two women who accused him were an assistant director identified only as Sarah, now 35, and Amélie, a 55-year-old set decorator. Both said they had been repeatedly assaulted by Depardieu during filming.

Depardieu’s lawyer, Jeremy Assous, confirmed that his client was appealing while denying any wrongdoing. The appeal suspends the punishment until a new trial begins in Paris next week.

Assous strongly criticised the verdict and blamed the MeToo movement, which has highlighted alleged sexual abuse by wealthy and influential men.

“From the moment you are accused of sexual assault, you are automatically convicted,” Assous said.

Depardieu is also expected to face trial at a later date over allegations that he raped French actress Charlotte Arnould, 29.

Arnould’s decision to speak publicly prompted numerous other women to report alleged offences by Depardieu, some of which could also reach court.

Two years ago, French President Emmanuel Macron provoked anger after defending Depardieu.

Appearing on a television chat show, Macron said he opposed the actor being subjected to what he called “a manhunt.”