According to a new report from a government watchdog group obtained by The Hill, about two dozen Trump administration appointees remain in civil service or government advisory councils about two months after the Biden administration.
Accountable.US, a left-wing watchdog, found that at least 24 Trump appointees have “buried” themselves in civil service jobs. The appointments mean Trump-era officials will remain in those posts for the foreseeable future.
The report cited four individuals believed to have delved into national security functions, nine who played a role in environmental regulation and three officials at the Department of Justice. The allegations echo the allegations often made during the Trump administration about a so-called deep state of career officials hampering the former president’s agenda.
Among those listed in the report as potentially buried in the Biden government are acting US attorney Prerak Shah, Brandon Middleton at the Department of Energy, and Robert G. Cameron at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
“Because positions like this usually fly under the radar, filling in antagonists from the Biden administration could sabotage the progress of the many crises we grapple with,” US President Kyle Herrig said in a statement.
In some cases, the problem has already been addressed.
Michael Ellis, a GOP agent and ally of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, was placed on administrative leave after Biden took office, pending an investigation into his appointment as a top National Security Agency attorney in the waning days of the Trump administration .
Biden fired Sharon Gustafson last week, who was hired by the former President Trump
Donald Trump Trump promises ‘No more money for RINOS’ but instead encourages donations to his PAC. Federal judge rules ‘QAnon shaman’ too dangerous to be released from prison Pelosi says Capitol riot was one of the most difficult moments of her career MORE as general counsel of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, after she refused to step down.
The president also signed an executive order at the beginning of his presidency to restore worker protections and scrap Schedule F, a Trump-era policy that provided a path for certain appointees to work their way into long-term civil service jobs.
The Accountable.US report also cited more than 100 appointments Trump had made in his last weeks in office to place loyalists and allies on government advisory councils. Those roles are not official government positions, but reflect the extent to which Trump has filled Washington, DC, committees with former aides and donors.
Trump appointed the former White House adviser Kellyanne Conway
Kellyanne Elizabeth Conway George Conway calls for a thorough investigation of the Lincoln Project: ‘The lying must stop’ Claudia Conway makes claims on ‘American Idol’, parents Kellyanne, George appear The rapid death of the media darlings known as the Lincoln project MORE to serve on the US Air Force Academy Visitor Council. He knocked on the former Transport Minister Elaine Chao
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Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnell Trump steps up Republican leadership RNC fires back at Trump, says it has ‘every right’ to use his name in fundraising calls Blunt retirement shakes Missouri Senate race MORE (R-Ky.), To serve on the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees.
And Russ Vought, Trump’s former director of the Office of Management and Budget accused of delaying the Biden transition, was named a member of the US Naval Academy Board of Visitors.
Biden’s administration has taken some steps to intervene in the appointments.
Biden’s Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin
Lloyd AustinBiden pledges to end “plague of sexual assault in the military.” The Hill’s 12:30 Report – Presented by Johns Hopkins University – CDC Announces Long-Awaited Guidelines for Fully Vaccinated Americans Will Lloyd Austin Take on the Generals? LAKE, expelled hundreds of members from Pentagon advisory committees in early February, and expelled last-minute appointees by the Trump administration, including former Trump campaign advisers Corey Lewandowski
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