Lee Greif was chief of staff to governor of New York Peter Peyser for nearly five years. Peter Peyser hired him in 1971 after successfully winning the New York congress race. Grief’s career would be successful and a major source of inspiration for Grief’s other endeavors that he would pursue in his life. Peter Peyser was a Republican congressman who served the Westchester County – a suburban area located just above Manhattan Island in lower New York State. The responsibilities that Lee Greif would withhold during his five year career in politics as Peyser’s chief of staff were many, but there was nothing that Greif couldn’t accomplish. Of the many accomplishments of this time period, none were more important than the two elections that he successfully ran for Peter Peyser which got him reelected twice.

Serving under Peter Peyser was an amazing experience that Greif remains forever thankful for. Peyser was a contemporary and long time friend of Nelson Rockefeller. The two were not only close friends, but were political allies who spent a lot of time together developing policies. Having political connections such as these allowed Peyser to pass on many important and special projects which would not only present a challenge to Grief, but would endow him with a certain prestige and air of responsibility.

Perhaps the thing that made Grief’s five year stay in Washington so memorable and significant was the fact that he served this period during the early 1970s. This time period is one of the most important times in American History due to all the revolutionary changes which took place during this time. Because he worked during such a tumultuous time, he took from the experience many remarkable memories, such as the time he ate dinner at the White House with Richard Nixon and all the classified briefings he held with Secretaries Of State and Secretaries Of Defense.

Working during these difficult times wasn’t all positive though. Because he worked for a Democrat during the Vietnam conflict and worked for a Republican during the Watergate scandal he was naturally forced to support some unpopular policies from time to time. While he got by okay most of the time, there were two times in particular when he was forced to defend some very unpopular polices that were put in place by his bosses and the President at the time, Richard M. Nixon.

Perhaps the best thing that came into his life during his time in Washington was meeting his first wife, Randee. Randee was working for United States Senator Thomas Eagleton at the time as a member of his staff. Eagleton took quite a liking to Lee Grief and they become good friends. Eagleton would become a role model to Lee and also a major supportive force in his political career. Eagleton, a democrat form MO would later go on to run for Vice President along side of McGovern. Greif’s five years in Washington are remembered by him fondly as being a difficult yet hugely excising time in his life.