Press Releases
ICYMI: New Records Reveal Trump Exceeded Obama On Burrowed Political Appointees
WASHINGTON, D.C. – NBC News reports that 58 Trump administration political appointees sought conversion into permanent civil service positions in the final year of his term — an increase in requests compared to the corresponding period under former President Barack Obama. One of the conversion approvals includes Keith Grey, a former agricultural industry lobbyist who now administrates crop insurance.
“In his final days as president, Donald Trump ignored the pandemic and refused to work with the incoming Biden transition team, but his staff worked overtime to ensure they could stick around in the next administration,” said Kyle Herrig, president of Accountable.US. “As the new President addresses the crises he inherited, the public deserves to know if the political cronies Trump left behind are working to sabotage and obstruct much-needed progress.”
In February, Accountable.US introduced a new investigation into Trump administration holdovers and burrowers in government. The group’s most recent report found nine previously undisclosed political appointees of former President Trump were approved for conversion to civil service jobs. The effort also includes a database of FOIA requests to federal government departments and agencies for correspondence with the Office of Personnel Management seeking conversion for government employees in 2020 and 2021.
