Thread by @AlexThomp

NEW: If you look thru Blinken's pictures at meetings w/ Russia, India, etc., the man sitting next to him is Tom Sullivan, Jake's little brother
A look at the former Klobuchar staffer & Amazon exec who's become a key Blinken aide
w/@dlippman @theodoricmeyer
politico.com/newsletters/we…

It's not just Tom. Jake and Tom's spouse are also in high-ranking positions across the Biden admin.
Tom's wife Rose is the principal deputy asst secretary for leg at HHS after a stint lobbying for companies like Google/Alphabet, CVS Health and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries

Jake’s wife, Maggie Goodlander, clerked for Stephen breyer (cc @brianefallon and then-Judge Garland before becoming counsel to Garland in the attorney general’s office.

Tom Sullivan also did a tour in the private sector during the Trump administration. He became the quasi-chief of staff for the international public policy team at Amazon under Obama administration alum DAVID ROTH and worked closely with Susan Pointer.

Tom, Jake, and Rose are all Klobuchar-world alums.
Tom began accompanying Klobuchar on trips abroad. One sticks out to her.

and @nahaltoosi on the new trend at State?: dispatching experienced diplomats to lead embassies on a temporary basis
They’re called “chargés d’affaires,” & Biden has named at least 4 of them in the past five weeks to head the embassies in India, El Salvador, Qatar & Canada.

plus, don't miss @NickNiedz on Psaki's insistence that you shouldn't chase a doughnut with a beer.

here are some of those pictures of Tom Sullivan next to Blinken
the state department declined our requests to speak with Tom’s colleagues. They also didn’t respond to requests to confirm his age. So we said 40ish.