EXCLUSIVETrump's Chief of Staff pick Susie Wiles opens up over her turbulent 35-year marriage
She's the campaign mastermind credited with keeping the tightest of reins on Donald Trump's presidential comeback, which was instrumental in his stunning election victory.
But Susie Wiles sadly couldn't manage the same feat with her ex-husband's lofty business ambitions – and was dragged into a financial nightmare that saw them file a $3million Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition, DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal.
The canny Republican strategist, rewarded by Trump to be the first woman White House Chief of staff, was also forced to battle other cash and legal issues over several years with Porsche-driving ex Lanny Wiles, including multiple IRS tax liens.
Such was the toll on their relationship, that the woman fondly dubbed the Ice Maiden by the incoming president for her cool head has admitted the strain broke her marriage.
'I was drawn into it,' she told DailyMail.com. 'My former husband, sadly, made a series of poor business decisions nearly 35 years ago. As I recall, monies owed were paid in full.
'This was an unfortunate time in our lives and ultimately these issues led to a divorce some years later.'
Wiles, 67, was named as 'joint debtor' with 81-year-old political consultant Lanny for the voluntary 'consumer' bankruptcy filed in Duval County, Florida, 1991 – which had a list of 22 creditors. Lanny was listed as 'debtor'.
She was also embroiled as a defendant in litigation that saw the couple ordered to pay more than $75,000 in a case that included a bid to have her wages garnished while she was working for the mayor of Jacksonville.
Susie Wiles, 67, ran a killer campaign for President-elect Donald Trump and was chosen as his chief of staff
Lanny, a former political consultant and Susie's ex-husband, had a series of poor business decisions that led the couple to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and ultimately led to their divorce, Susie told DailyMail.com
Some years later, in 2017, she took the difficult decision to file for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences.
Lanny Wiles did not respond to DailyMail.com's requests for comment.
All this is a world away from the celebratory fanfare at the Palm Beach County Convention Center when Trump gushed about her talents as he claimed victory over Kamala Harris at his November 5 election night watch party.
The president-elect enthusiastically called his campaign guru to join him at the front of the stage for praise with the words: 'Come Susie, come Susie… Susie likes to stay sort of in the back.'
Proffered the mic by Trump to say a few words amid enthusiastic clapping, she shook her head and quickly retreated to resume her demeanor of the discipled fixer behind the scenes.
It was a self-effacing moment for the seasoned GOP tactician who has also made a living in private-sector lobbying, most recently as co-chair of Mercury Public Affairs. Her profile picture was on the company's website throughout the Trump campaign but has now vanished.
Ironically, the firm with 18 offices worldwide has many clients in industries and countries the president-elect said he would target during his campaigning.
Wiles' new role as a Washington powerbroker after toiling for years in Florida politics could earn her $183,000 a year, the top rate allowed for any White House aide.
She and Lanny married in DC in 1982 and moved to the exclusive Ponte Vedra Beach, where both of them still live separately.
In the year of the bankruptcy petition, Susie was hit by the first of seven federal tax liens with Lanny which was filed in St John's County Circuit Court in St Augustine - this would impact their marriage to the point where they divorced in 2017, citing irreconcilable differences
Susie posing alongside her daughter Katie Wiles at a birthday celebration in 2021
According to records seen by DailyMail.com, they filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on May 24, 1991, with the 'nature of debt' being recorded as 'consumer'.
Chapter 7 is a relatively fast way for individuals and couples to get a fresh financial start and keep their home when their assets are outweighed by debts – which can be discharged by allowing petitioners to sell off personal items.
It appeared the Wiles' filing relates to debts that mounted up as golf-loving Lanny did deals in his native North Carolina, but there were also significant creditors in Florida.
One of the biggest out-of-pocket expenses at the time was to real estate tycoon JC Faw - lauded for developing strip mall shopping centers across North Carolina and parts of Virginia.
Faw, who died aged 89 in 2019, was owed $353,476.71.
But even that amount was dwarfed by the city of Wilkesboro, North Carolina, which said it was owed $725,000 as part of Lanny's plans.
This figure was closely followed by the $710,970 to former construction company John S. Clark of Mount Airy, North Carolina, which went out of business in 2012.
Developer C. Richard Vaughn, also from Mount Airy, was owed $49,500.
Various banks staked their claims, with Southern Bank of North Wilkesboro being the largest at $547,982.24. The total claimed in the case was $3,025,215.15 and the total secured at the time of filing was $161,412.48.
Wiles, the first woman to be a president's chief of staff, could earn $183,000 a year in her new role, the top rate allowed for any White House aide
Lanny posing with women's professional golfer Shanshan Feng - the Wiles' Chapter 7 filing relates to debts that mounted up as golf-loving Lanny did deals in his native North Carolina, but there were also significant creditors in Florida
Lanny owns multiple Porsches including a blue Porsche 911 Carrera 4s
One of their biggest expenses that was reflected in the $3 million bankruptcy filing was to real estate tycoon JC Faw, who died aged 89 in 2019 and was owed $353,476.71
As Chapter 7 is the quickest procedure in the bankruptcy route, the case was given a 'standard discharge' on September 20, 1991, and terminated on July 20, 1994.
The procedure tends to stay on a credit report for ten years and can make getting loans difficult during that time.
In the year of the bankruptcy petition, Susie was hit by the first of seven federal tax liens with Lanny which was filed in St John's County Circuit Court in St Augustine, with an amount of $14,820.75. Two years later there was one for $57,692.64 and the following year for $31,189.12.
For the tax year 2010, there was a $57,637.73 lien, one for $36, 124.28 a year later and another for $46,521.35 in 2012. The most recent was 2019 for $59,126.21 filed in Duval Circuit Court, still joint despite their split two years earlier.
Additionally, Susie was named as a defendant with Lanny in litigation with James and Evette Meni in 1996, in St John's Circuit Court. A judge ordered they pay the other couple $64,920.98 plus $10,774.68 in interest.
Trump's campaign guru worked as chief of staff to then Jacksonville mayor John Delaney in the 1990s. Court records show a writ for garnishment against wages over the Meni case with the City of Jacksonville.
Wiles, who grew up in New Jersey and is the daughter of NFL player and TV sportscaster Pat Summerall, was granted her divorce on November 30, 2017.
She was given exclusive use of the home they shared in Ponte Vedra Beach until it was sold, with Lanny paying $1,500 a month towards the mortgage.
Lanny's Apollo that he wrote on Instagram about in 2020. He claimed he paid $2.7 million for it before sales tax at Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance - an automotive charity event in Florida
Susie grew up in New Jersey and is the daughter of NFL player and TV sportscaster Pat Summerall - the sports legend later passed away in 2013
Susie is attributed with saving Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' foundering campaign in 2018
Susie fell out with Desantis and supposedly took her inside knowledge of her former boss to Trump which helped him crush the governor in the 2024 GOP nomination
The final judgment said the couple would split the proceeds of the house sale. Lanny was given sole ownership of a 2017 Porsche 911 and Susie a 2014 Mercedes. The ex-husband was ordered to reimburse Susie for a $21,000 debt on a JP Morgan Chase credit card.
Wiles cut her teeth on Florida politics. She helped United States Senator Rick Scott become governor in 2010 and rescued Ron DeSantis' foundering campaign for the same role in 2018.
But she fell out with the current governor incumbent and took her inside knowledge of her former boss to Trump, helping the president-elect to crush DeSantis' bid for the 2024 GOP nomination. It is still unclear exactly what caused the rift.
After leaving DeSantis, she worked with consulting firm Ballard where she was reportedly a lobbyist for coal company Alliance Resource Partners, insurance company Bankers Financial Corporation, General Motors and transportation firm Origin Logistics.
Wiles switched to Mercury Public Affairs in February 2022, whose clients currently include Qatar – a country denounced for its human rights record.
Her role there included lobbying Congress on 'FDA regulations' between 2003 and the start of this year for tobacco concern. Mercury was paid $120,000 during that time by the tobacco company Swisher, but has now ended that relationship.
A lobbying disclosure by Mercury obtained by DailyMail.com shows Wiles was working on FDA regulations for SI Group Client Services - which operates Swisher. It describes itself as a 'global leader in the innovative technology of performance additives, process solutions and chemical intermediates'.
And in what would have been an astonishing conflict of interest if she'd stayed with Mercury, many of the firm's clients could now fall foul of Trump's plans for 'Make America Healthy Again', trade tariffs and education.
Susie leading lobbyist Mike Hightower to n interview before the start of Inauguration ceremonies for Rick Scott as the Florida governor
Senior advisors Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita listen as Donald Trump speaks at his election night rally at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida
His pick of vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr to lead the Department of Health and Human Services caused Mercury's client Pfizer's shares to plunge three percent after the announcement.
Mercury reportedly has large contracts with several ultra-processed food companies such as Kellogg's, high fructose corn syrup maker Kraft-Heinz and Nestle SA, which makes KitKat and Hot Pockets. Kennedy has vowed war on junk food.
Additionally, carmaker client Hyundai would be hit if the incoming president introduces his proposed trade tariffs, and Mercury would inevitably lobby hard to mitigate any damage.
Meanwhile, they also represent Gavi Vaccine Alliance healthcare company Kaiser Permanente, Teach for America and The California Endowment - whose mission is to 'expand access to affordable, quality healthcare for underserved individuals'.
