Name: CJ Cregg
Occupation: White House Press Secretary, later, Chief of Staff
Favorite Drink: The Grasshopper
Codename: Flamingo

Claudia Jean (CJ) Cregg was recruited to be Jed Bartlet’s press secretary, a job which she accepted after being fired from her job at a tony California PR firm. Six feet tall, she’s a standout among her fairly short-statured coworkers at the White House. Her height becomes an on-going gag in the show, especially when she learns that her Secret Service codename is “Flamingo”.

C.J. might be one of the more romantically entangled characters on the West Wing, having had a one night stand with Vice President John Hoynes (though before he was in office, or they were coworkers), as well as a fling with her Secret Service protector, Simon Donovan, before he was shot and killed in a botched robbery. Eventually, she settles down with White House correspondent Danny Concannon. No word on whether or not she’s been hit with any sexual harassment suits from other coworkers.

C.J.’s promotion in the sixth season of West Wing came as a surprise to many, as she ascended to the Chief of Staff’s position left vacant by Leo McGarry after a heart attack. During her tenure, there were a few scandals, the worst of which involved leaking of classified information to the press by Toby Ziegler. Upon election of Matt Santos, she left the public sector for charity work in Africa, with a Gates-ian budget.

Other Fictional DC Residents