C.J. Cregg

Claudia Jean 'C.J.' Cregg, White House Chief of Staff (formerly Press Secretary) to Democratic President Josiah Bartlet, is a fictional character, played by Allison Janney on the television serial drama The West Wing. The character is supposedly loosely based on Clinton Press Secretary Dee Dee Myers, who has served as a consultant to the show.

Related Topics:
White House Chief of Staff - Press Secretary - Democratic - President - Fictional character - Allison Janney - Television - Serial - Drama - The West Wing - Clinton - Dee Dee Myers

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Originally from Dayton, Ohio, C.J. was paid a six-figure income for her work at a prominent California public relations firm before coming to work for Bartlet's 1998 presidential campaign. Ironically, she was fired from that job on the same day that Toby came to California to ask her to join the Bartlet campaign. As White House Press Secretary, C.J. was sharp, well-spoken and witty. She was less than pleased to discover that her Secret Service codename was "Flamingo", a bird which C.J. described as being "ridiculous-looking".

Related Topics:
Dayton, Ohio - California - Public relations - Bartlet's - 1998 - Presidential campaign - Fired - Toby - White House Press Secretary - Secret Service - Flamingo

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During the third season, C.J. received a series of death threats, which led to her being placed under the protection of Secret Service agent Simon Donovan, with whom she became romantically involved. Shortly after going off-duty, Donovan was shot and killed after becoming caught up in the armed robbery of a New York City grocery store in the episode "Posse Comitatus". C.J. has also had a long on-again, off-again flirtation with the White House correspondent for The Washington Post, Danny Concannon, although C.J. felt that they could not date because it would be a conflict of interest.

Related Topics:
Secret Service - New York City - White House - Correspondent - The Washington Post - Danny Concannon

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C.J. succeeded Leo McGarry as White House Chief of Staff in the sixth season after McGarry suffered a heart attack at Camp David. C.J.'s elevation to this post would make her the first woman to serve in this position in our universe - however, this may not be true in the world of The West Wing.

Related Topics:
Leo McGarry - White House Chief of Staff - Heart attack - Camp David - The West Wing

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In the final two episodes of Season 6, in a plotline involving an oxygen leak aboard the International Space Station, a senior White House official leaked information to the New York Times about a top-secret military space shuttle that could lead to the rescue of the astronauts if none of NASA's shuttles could be readied in time. After the cliffhanger at the end of the season, many fans speculated that C.J. could be the leaker, something that, if confirmed, could result in her facing Federal charges and a possible prison sentence of up to 10 years.

Related Topics:
International Space Station - White House - New York Times - Space shuttle - NASA - Cliffhanger

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The incident is probably used to mirror the Valerie Plame scandal in which the identity of the CIA wife of Iraq War critic former-ambassador Joseph C. Wilson was leaked by top Bush staffers. It is important to note that the show suggest White House Chief of Staff C.J. Cregg is implied of the leak, this is parallel in real life in which Bush?s chief political advisor Karl Rove is implied of the leak. Also like in real life, the leak had to do with a New York Times reporter, in the real life leak journalist Judith Miller served time in prison for not collaborating with a Grand Jury to reveal the name of the source, this is also mirrored in the West Wing where the reporter involved with the leak would not name his source for the sake of confidentiality to protect the source.

Related Topics:
Valerie Plame scandal - Iraq War - Joseph C. Wilson - White House Chief of Staff - Karl Rove - New York Times - Judith Miller

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A "flash-forward" three years into the future, shown at the beginning of the Season 7 premiere at the dedication of the Bartlet presidential library, establishes that C.J. married Danny Concannon, and they had a child.

Related Topics:
Presidential library - Danny Concannon

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