Paul Ingrassia, White House liaison to the Justice Department, center, departs after speaking to members of the press at the D.C. Central Detention Facility in Washington, D.C. on January 20, 2025 following President Donald Trump's pardons and commutations for defendants in the January 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol riots. Ingrassia announced that brothers Matthew and Andrew Valentin had been released earlier in the evening following President Trump's orders. Image: Bryan Dozier/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
A Senate committee has pulled from planned consideration at a confirmation hearing the nomination of Paul Ingrassia to head the Office of Special Counsel, stalling but not necessarily killing that nomination.
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee’s action came in the wake of opposition from federal employee organizations, good government groups, congressional Democrats that had left at least one Republican member of the closely divided committee, Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C. saying he opposes the nomination.
In contrast to prior nominees of both parties, Ingrassia has little experience in government—mainly as a liaison for homeland security in the current administration—and little experience in law, having graduated from law school just three years ago. However, opposition to him has focused on his history of associating with far-right personalities and positions.
For example, Democrats on the counterpart House committee said they have “grave concern” that he “lacks the temperament, experience, and fundamental constitutional fidelity required to lead this office,” characterizing the nomination of “part of a concerted effort by President Trump to traumatize the federal workforce and consolidate unchecked power.”
Similarly, a statement from two dozen federal unions and outside groups said that Ingrassia’s past comments “show that he is unlikely to fulfill his duty of safeguarding the merit system: He fundamentally does not value the work or the careers of civil servants . . . Rather than protecting the rights of federal workers, Ingrassia would target them instead.”
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