Army officials said privately the timing was just a coincidence and insisted the Army's Office of Legislative Affairs was simply responding to requests for information from Congress.

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According to the Army statement, the resignation of Kenneth A. Steadman, principal deputy in the Army's Office of Legislative Affairs, followed his decision to accept responsibility for distributing the talking points defending the Crusader to Congress.

CNN: Crusader controversy results in career casualty

Prior to that, Commissioner Sommers worked in the Government Affairs Office of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, where she was instrumental in overseeing regulatory and legislative affairs for the exchange.

WHITEHOUSE: THE WHITE HOUSE

However, Lew became increasingly numbers focused, serving as the Associate Director for Legislative Affairs and Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget and later, the managing director of Citi Global Wealth Management and chief operating officer Citigroup Alternative Investments.

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