The Office of Special Counsel protects federal employee whistleblower rights, while the Office of Government Ethics prevents conflicts of interest.
Justin Doubleday@jdoubledayWFED
President Donald Trump has fired the federal government’s top ethics official just months into his five-year term, while also drawing a legal challenge for seeking to remove the head of the independent Office of Special Counsel.
The Office of Government Ethics on Monday posted a notice on its website stating, “OGE has been notified that the President is removing David Huitema as the Director of OGE.”
“OGE is reverting to an acting director,” the notice states.
The White House did not respond to an inquiry seeking more details on Huitema’s firing.
The Senate confirmed Huitema as OGE director in December. The position is typically a five-year term.
OGE is an independent agency that works to prevent conflicts of interest within the executive branch. The office would be deeply involved in helping resolve conflicts of interest for the new Trump administration’s procession of political appointees.
Huitema’s firing comes just days after Trump directed the removal of Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger, who had overseen the Office of Special Counsel since March 2024.
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