RNC Chief of Staff Resigns

Julie Bolcer

April 06 2010 9:05 AM EST

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Republican National Committee chief of staff Ken McKay resigned Monday in the wake of revelations that the party spent $2,000 at a West Hollywood club with a bondage theme.

According to Politico.com, McKay is the highest-ranking RNC official to depart since news of the expenditure broke last month, and the resignation suggests mounting pressure on chairman Michael Steele.

"Doug Heye, communications director for the RNC, declined to say if McKay was forced out but indicated the move was directly related to the money spent at the now-infamous Voyeur Club and broader concerns about the party's fundraising and the performance of Steele."

McKay managed the campaigns of Rhode Island governor Don Carcieri in 2002 and 2006, and served as his chief of staff.

In late March, The Daily Caller reported that the RNC approved a $1,946.25 expense filed by Orange County GOP consultant Erik Brown during a committee fundraising trip to Southern California. The money paid for a Young Eagles gathering at the Voyeur Club, where female dancers reportedly simulate lesbian acts.