Pawlenty to Hire Ayers as Campaign Manager

Fox News has learned former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty will announce on Monday that his presidential exploratory committee has hired Nick Ayers on as campaign manager. The move puts Ayers in position to fill the role of campaign manager in the likely event that Pawlenty announces a full blown presidential campaign in the next month or two.

Nick Ayers is the former Executive Director of the Republican Governors Association under the leadership of Miss. Gov Haley Barbour, who is also weighing a potential White House run.

Pawlenty is the first major potential presidential candidate to actually file with the Federal Election Commission and this personnel move will be seen as yet another sign that he is serious about a run for the 2012 GOP Presidential nomination.