A staffing blunder tied to Sen. Eric Schmitt's exchange with former special counsel Jack Smith this week may be complicating a key aide's planned move to the White House, according to a report by Politico.

Ethan Harper, the general counsel to Schmitt (R-Mo.), was expected to leave his role on Friday and begin a new position in the White House Staff Secretary's office next week, according to three people familiar with the plans who were granted anonymity to discuss them. But that transition is now in doubt following a congressional hearing that has embroiled Schmitt in controversy, the people said. The episode underscores how a routine personnel move can become entangled in the fallout from a high-profile hearing.

There is no evidence Harper was responsible for the error, Politico reported. The mishap occurred Tuesday, when Smith faced questioning at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing where Republicans — including Schmitt, who sits on the panel — sought to challenge his past investigations into President Donald Trump's alleged corruption.

During the hearing, Schmitt — using posters as visual aids — attempted to accuse Smith of colluding with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, basing the claim on Smith's alleged attendance at an Atlanta Hawks basketball game in February 2024. Schmitt had the teams wrong: Smith had actually attended an Iowa Hawkeyes women's college basketball game, the University of Iowa team rather than the NBA's Atlanta Hawks. Before being corrected, Schmitt went so far as to accuse Smith of perjury after Smith denied attending the Hawks game.

The incident drew widespread criticism from pundits and from members of Schmitt's own party. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), a fellow member of the Judiciary Committee, suggested Schmitt get his facts "together" before leveling accusations in his next line of questioning.

Harper's role in the episode was logistical rather than substantive. He was the staffer standing behind Schmitt during the hearing, holding up a board displaying screenshots of text messages as the senator accused Smith of lying to Congress about the game. The evidence on the board, however, failed to establish that Smith had attended an Atlanta Hawks game.

Politico reported that Harper's move to the White House was arranged before Tuesday's hearing, according to two of its sources. The planned transfer would take him from Schmitt's office to the White House office responsible for managing the of documents and other materials to the president — a post that places its staff at the center of what reaches the president's desk.

Harper, a Harvard Law graduate, previously worked for Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and for D. John Sauer, then Missouri's solicitor general. He also clerked for Judge W. Duane Benton of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.

Schmitt has described Harper as a "crucial part of the judicial vetting process" in his Senate office, where he interviews candidates for judicial openings.

The White House declined to comment, according to Politico, and Schmitt's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Politico also attempted to reach Harper directly, but calls were not immediately returned. Until one of the parties addresses the report, it remains unclear whether Harper's Friday departure and planned start in the Staff Secretary's office will proceed as scheduled.