The U.S. Department of Agriculture has moved a staffer from Kansas out of the agency’s congressional relations office after a sexually explicit love story that he wrote became widespread publicly a couple months ago.
A spokesperson for USDA confirmed Wednesday that Tucker Stewart has left the Office of Congressional Relations and is now working on the agency’s “lawfare portfolio.” He’s reportedly now a close aide to the agency’s secretary.
The USDA has set up web portal for potential farmers, ranchers and USDA customers who believe they’re a victim of unfair and politically motivated “lawfare” originating under the Biden administration.
The agency did not comment further on Stewart’s status with the agency. An effort to reach Stewart through an intermediary was unsuccessful Wednesday afternoon.
But Politico, citing five anonymous sources, reported this week that Stewart is now a “trusted legal adviser” to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.
A source told Politico that Stewart is now part the secretary’s inner circle to advise her “on some of the most sensitive initiatives at the department.”
Another source told Politico that the secretary “felt bad” for the bad publicity that Stewart faced when the newspaper first broke the story about his love novel.
At one point, Stewart became a late-night national television punchline when he was ridiculed by comedian Stephen Colbert, who made fun of his “porn-writin’ hat” in a headshot shown to viewers.
The Sunflower State Journal obtained a copy of the story from multiple reliable sources across the political spectrum.
Stewart previously worked as general counsel and senior agriculture policy adviser to Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall.
He also worked as the associate counsel for the Kansas Livestock Association and served as legal and legislative intern at the state Department of Agriculture and as a legal intern at the Dairy Farmers of America.
He is a graduate of the Washburn University Law School. He graduated with a degree in animal sciences from Kansas State in 2011.
