Former President Donald Trump has nominated Paul Ingrassia, a former far-right podcast host, to lead the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC), an independent federal agency established after the Watergate scandal. The nomination comes after Trump’s dismissal of the previous OSC head, Hampton Dellinger, who was removed just one year into his five-year term.
According to MSNBC, Ingrassia has been practicing law for only three years and previously worked at the Claremont Institute, a conservative think tank that claims to be “working to undermine the Left’s hold over America’s institutions and conscience.” During Trump’s term, he served as the president’s liaison to the Justice Department, where he described himself as Trump’s “eyes and ears.”
The nomination follows a pattern of controversial appointments, including Ed Martin, who now leads the Justice Department’s “Weaponization Working Group” and serves as Trump’s pardon attorney. Martin recently posted on social media, “No MAGA left behind,” after processing two dozen pardons for corrupt public officials, business executives, and Trump supporters.
Concerns rise over Ingrassia’s stance on January 6 events
Ingrassia’s views on the January 6 Capitol riot have drawn significant attention. He has advocated for pardons of January 6 defendants and called for $1 million per family in reparations. He has also pushed for January 6 to be designated as a national holiday, describing the day’s events as “a peaceful protest against a great injustice affecting our electoral system.”
The OSC’s primary responsibilities include protecting whistleblowers, federal workers from unlawful employment practices and enforcing the Hatch Act, which prohibits political activity in the federal workplace. The role traditionally requires an experienced and apolitical investigator.
During his brief tenure at the Justice Department, Ingrassia was reassigned to the Department of Homeland Security after reportedly clashing with DOJ officials over his push to hire candidates with “exceptional loyalty” to Trump. He has also publicly criticized former Vice President Mike Pence, referring to him as a traitor.
The nomination requires Senate confirmation, and some observers draw parallels to Ed Martin’s unsuccessful nomination for U.S. attorney in Washington, which was withdrawn after failing to gain support from key Republican senators. Critics argue that appointing Ingrassia could compromise the independence of the OSC, potentially deterring whistleblowers from reporting fraud, waste, and abuse in federal agencies, and weakening protections for federal employees against discrimination and prohibited personnel practices.
Published: Jun 2, 2025 02:10 pm