Trump Fires Office of Government Ethics Director David Huitema

President Trump removed David Huitema as director of the Office of Government Ethics on February 10, 2025, just two months after Huitema was confirmed by the Senate to a five-year term. Huitema, who had been appointed by President Biden and began the position in December 2024, learned of his removal via email without explanation. Trump replaced him with Doug Collins, a former Republican congressman and Trump ally who was serving as Veterans Affairs Secretary. The OGE is responsible for ensuring government workers comply with conflict of interest and ethics requirements. This firing was part of a broader pattern during Trump's early administration of removing watchdog officials, including the leaders of offices responsible for whistleblower complaints and inspector general positions, raising concerns about systematically dismantling government oversight mechanisms. The removal of a Senate-confirmed official mid-term without stated cause represents an unprecedented assertion of execut...

"I was notified of his removal via email without explanation." — David Huitema describing how he learned of his termination as OGE Director