Donald Trump removed David Huitema, the director of the Office of Government Ethics (OGE). The OGE website announced the dismissal in a single sentence. Huitema will be succeeded by current chief of staff and program counsel at the OGE, Shelley K. Finlayson, who will be the acting director.
It’s the latest in Trump’s efforts to remove people charged with oversight of his administration from the federal government. For example, his administration has also removed prosecutors involved in Jan. 6 cases. His removal of Huitema, who was confirmed in a party-line vote last year, is likely to draw criticism, especially from Democrats who have been sounding the alarm about Elon Musk and the so-called Department of Government Efficiency’s sweeping cuts across federal agencies.
Politico
After former President Joe Biden nominated Huitema to the role, it would take more than a year for him to be confirmed. He was confirmed in December 2024 during the lame-duck session of Congress.
OGE directors typically serve five-year terms, overlapping the four-year terms enjoyed by presidents. The five-year terms were established to minimize the role of partisanship in the office.
