White House Staffer Killed in Cycling Incident
Obama says he is "heartbroken" following the death of a White House staffer.
— -- President Obama said today he is "heartbroken" following the death of White House staffer Jake Brewer, who was killed in a cycling accident Saturday.
In a statement, Obama called Brewer "one of the best," he served in the White House as a senior policy adviser in the Office of the Chief Technology Officer.
Brewer, 34, was killed in Howard County taking part in the charity bicycle ride "Ride to Conquer Cancer," which announced Brewer's passing on its website.
Obama offered condolences to Jake's family, including his pregnant wife Mary Katherine Ham and their young daughter Georgia.
Ham is a writer for the website Hot Air, and has posted moving tributes to her husband on her Instagram page.
"Armed with a brilliant mind, a big heart, and an insatiable desire to give back, Jake devoted his life to empowering people and making government work better for them," Obama said. "I’ve often said that today’s younger generation is smarter, more determined, and more capable of making a difference than I was as a young man. Jake was proof of that."
In addition to his work in the White House, Brewer was a competitive triathlete and published photographer, according to a White House statement.
"Jake lived and loved more in his 34 years than some people do in their whole lives," U.S. Chief Technology Officer Megan Smith said. "He had a generous heart and a vision for engaging with technology, data, and most importantly each other, to create opportunity and find solutions together."
Friends of Brewer have set up a GoFundMe page to help support his wife and children. As of 5:30 p.m. E.T. on Sunday, the page had already raised more than $38,000.
