Deaver Quitting Reagan Staff; 2nd in Week to Go

President Reagan today announced the resignation of White House Deputy Chief of Staff Michael K. Deaver, one of his most influential advisers.

Deaver, a Reagan aide for nearly two decades, was regarded as one of the President’s “big three” White House advisers, along with Chief of Staff James A. Baker III and Counselor Edwin Meese III, who is waiting to be confirmed by the Senate to the post of attorney general.

Deaver becomes the second member of Reagan’s inner circle of trusted California associates to resign this week. On Monday, Interior Secretary William P. Clark said he will leave his post this spring.

Deaver has been talking about quitting for three years, saying he did not make enough money in the White House. His salary now is about $72,000.

Public Relations Job

The 46-year-old Deaver reportedly has been offered in excess of $200,000 a year to head the Washington office of Burson-Marsteller, the world’s largest public relations firm.

In a statement, Reagan said he was accepting the resignation, effective within two or three months, with “deep regret.”

“Mike has rendered 18 years of loyal and outstanding service to me and to the First Lady both in California and in Washington,” Reagan said. “Nancy and I will sorely miss him, as will the nation. He has compiled an outstanding record during his four years of service to this Administration.

“Much of the success we’ve enjoyed in the first term is directly attributable to him.”

Presidential spokesman Larry Speakes said Deaver informed Reagan of his decision only this morning. Speakes denied that Deaver’s action was in any way connected to a Wall Street Journal story that said Deaver’s financial picture “has brightened considerably” in recent years.

The story said that Deaver’s wife had become an almost overnight success as a public relations consultant, earning $50,000 to $60,000 a year despite a lack of previous experience.

Deaver has received a $9,000 advance for writing a diet book and has been promised another $9,000 after delivering a manuscript. Although questions were originally raised about the propriety of the project, the White House determined that nothing improper was done.

‘Body Mover’

Deaver has been in charge of the President’s appointments. He is known as the “body mover” and had the all-powerful role of keeper of the Oval Office gate.

In that role he made some enemies but was viewed as a son and definitely a part of the family circle by the Reagans, who invited Deaver, his wife Caroline and their two children to Christmas dinner in the White House.

He was a key figure in Reagan’s reelection campaign and worked hard at protecting Reagan’s public image, controlling the President’s public appearances and his dealings with the press.

In addition to his close relationship with Reagan, Deaver has been a confidant of Nancy Reagan, who views him as a trusted friend and ally. She is known to put several telephone calls in a day to “Mike,” and has counted on Deaver not to overload the President’s schedule.