Dan Bartlett, one of the closest aides of US President George W. Bush, is to resign for personal reasons, the White House said Friday.
Bartlett, who is counselor to the president responsible for all aspects of strategic communications planning and the formulation of policy, will step down on July 4, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said.
In a statement, Bush said Bartlett's contribution to his presidency had been "immeasurable."
"I value his judgment and I treasure his friendship," Bush said of Bartlett, who first began to work with the president 14 years ago during his tenure as governor of Texas.
Bartlett, who was Bush's former communications director, is married with three young sons. Before joining Bush's campaign team, he worked for Karl Rove and Company, a political consulting firm based in Austin, Texas.
Rove is a key Bush advisor and political guru who has been dubbed "Bush's brain" for his influence over White House policy.
Bartlett's departure is another blow to Bush, who has lost several close allies in recent weeks, while other loyalists are under fire from Congress.
Former defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld was forced to quit after the Democratic Party stormed into Congress in the November polls riding a wave of anger over the war in Iraq.
Other loyal Bush aides, including Rove and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, are also under fire over a scandal following last year's dismissals of prosecutors, allegedly sacked for political reasons.
And at the end of the June, World Bank president Paul Wolfowitz, Bush's nominee for the job, will step down after being forced out by a favoritism scandal over a generous pay-and-promotions deal he arranged for his girlfriend.
