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Caught Our Eye

Think tank hires Cotton foreign policy adviser

Posted by Jenna Ebersole on April 22, 2015

A foreign policy adviser to the freshman senator who caused a stir last month with an open letter to Iranian leaders has left for a government relations job at an international affairs think tank.

Elaine Wilson started with then-Rep. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) in 2013 as senior legislative assistant before his election to the Senate, continuing as legislative adviser earlier this year. She transitioned this month to become director of government relations for the Foreign Policy Initiative.

Cotton made headlines when he wrote the open letter to Iranian leaders in March, which was signed by 46 of his Republican Senate colleagues and aimed to intervene in President Barack Obama's nuclear negotiations with Iran.

Wilson served as Cotton's adviser on foreign policy and national security, as well as on veterans, judiciary and trade issues according to her bio. She also worked in the offices of two other former House Republicans, Donald Manzullo and Aaron Schock, both of Illinois, between 2009 and 2013.

Wilson is engaged to another Hill staffer, David Stern, Rep. Bob Dold's (R-Ill.) deputy chief of staff and legislative director.