Ray Finley

Ray Finley functions as a formally introduced Oval Office visitor whom Chief of Staff Leo McGarry presents to President Josiah Bartlet. He performs brief, ritualized exchanges—most notably a cordial handshake—that puncture a private moment and restore the Oval Office to official business. Finley operates on the ceremonial edge of the administration’s social sphere rather than as a policymaker; his presence signals respect for presidential protocol and helps the scene shift from intimate counsel back into institutional duty.