Paul Ingrassia, the President’s pick to lead the Office of Special Counsel, has withdrawn his nomination. He withdrew from consideration following backlash over a series of racist and inflammatory text messages that were discovered. Ingrassia was nominated to head the agency responsible for protecting federal whistleblowers and enforcing political activity laws. But his nomination quickly grew controversial after reports surfaced that he had described himself as having “a Nazi streak” and made derogatory remarks about Black, Asian, and Indian Americans. Facing bipartisan criticism and dwindling Republican support in the Senate, Ingrassia dropped out of consideration earlier this week.
The comments raised concerns from federal employees whose rights and safety rely on protections from the Special Counsel. This independent agency safeguards employees by investigating alleged prohibited personnel practices, such as coercion or discrimination; promotes a meritocratic system by ensuring fair personnel practices; and protects whistleblowers who report wrongdoing by offering legal representation. If confirmed, Ingrassia would have been tasked with fairly handling whistleblower complaints and discrimination claims, among other sensitive work.
Politico revealed the series of racist and anti-Semitic texts that Ingrassia sent in a Republican group chat. Ingrassia, who had a Senate confirmation hearing scheduled for Thursday, told the group in a text chain that the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday should be “tossed into the seventh circle of hell” and said he has “a Nazi streak,” among other offensive and controversial comments, which are detailed in Politico’s article.
The OSC serves the incredibly important function of ensuring transparency and accountability in the federal government, chiefly by protecting whistleblowers and providing safe channels for employees to report wrongdoing. Ingrassia’s nomination raised concern among whistleblower advocates about whether the administration values the safety and effectiveness of the federal workforce.
They were relieved when Ingrassia announced his withdrawal from consideration on Tuesday night.
“I will be withdrawing myself from Thursday’s HSGAC hearing to lead the Office of Special Counsel because, unfortunately, I do not have enough Republican votes at this time,” Ingrassia posted. “I appreciate the overwhelming support that I have received throughout this process and will continue to serve President Trump and this administration to Make America Great Again!”
The White House confirmed to ABC News that Ingrassia is no longer the administration’s nominee.
Leading whistleblower attorney Stephen Kohn approved the withdrawal, stating, “Congress made specific requirements, and we hope that the next nominee is a true advocate for whistleblowers.”
