What is the relationship between these people?

The White House Chief of Staff, Coal at 37 runs the operation for a weak, disinterested President. He is the boy wonder who rescues a failing campaign as a guileful manipulator and nasty henchman. Coal hates the directors of the CIA and the FBI—and it is fully mutual. He stands during meetings like a sentry at the window, and paces annoyingly like der Führer before the President's desk. The President hates Coal's perfection. He is said to work 20 hours a day, seven days a week, 5 AM until 11 PM, and fires subordinates who fail to put in 80 hours a week against his 120. He drinks only water, eats from vending machines, has perfect recall, devours information, is never relaxed, and sleeps 3-5 hours a night. His appearance is always perfect.

Coal is happiest when tensions are thick. He is the organizer and boss of "The Unit," secret $4 million division of the Committee to Reelect the President (CRP). With an office in a tacky building on M St. in Georgetown, the Unit consists of trained thugs who do Republican dirty tricks. The ex-Marine, ex-CIA, ex-spy, and ex-felon L. Matthew Barr who heads the Unit considers Coal, his benefactor, a truly dangerous man. Coal orders him to follow Washington Post journalist Gray Grantham around the clock and bug his car, apartment, and office (Barr does the first two but knows the third is impossible). In a state of near panic about the political implications of the pelican brief, Coal dispatches Barr to the Caribbean to learn the truth from Victor Mattiece, but Barr does not live to bring the information home. When Grantham corroborates his story and gives Coal an opportunity to comment, he effectively has no comment. FBI Director Voyles happily carries a copy of the paper to Coal's home in Dumbarton Oaks, pounds on the door, gets him on the porch in his pajamas and robe, shoves his picture in his face, and declares he looks forward to delivering subpoenas and indictments. As expected, Coal takes the heat for his boss and resigns, but is not expected to be indicted.