IFPTE Joins Good Governance Groups on Letter Opposing Trump Nominee to Head Office of Special Counsel
This week, IFPTE and dozens of other civil society organizations and unions joined the Project on Government Oversight’s (POGO) letter telling Senators to oppose Paul Ingrassia’s nomination for U.S. Special Counsel because he is “unlikely to fulfill his duty of safeguarding the merit system.”
The letter details the overwhelming evidence, often in Ingrassia’s own words, that he is absolutely the wrong person to lead the Office of Special Counsel (OSC), which is charged with “safeguard[ing] the merit system by protecting federal employees and applicants from prohibited personnel practices (PPPs), especially reprisal for whistleblowing, ” according to the OSC website.
The letter to Senators notes that Ingrassia made, who graduated from Cornell Law School in 2022 and was admitted to the New York Bar in July 2024, has made the following offensive and prejudicial comments that reveal him to be not only wholly unqualified and inexperienced for this important role:
“He has repeatedly dehumanized civil servants, referring to them as ‘parasites’ and ‘bugmen’ who ‘leech off the diminishing lifeblood of the dying Republic.’”
“He has advocated using security clearances as a tool for retaliation, writing after the 2024 election that the ‘President-elect should immediately revoke the security clearances of any person working in the private sector who was appointed by Presidents Biden or Obama and a curated list of others.”
“Following President Trump’s reelection in November, he wrote, ‘The idea that civil servants are “apolitical” has always been hogwash, a myth propounded by these very same people who never want to be held responsible for anything.’”
“Ingrassia also has a history of making explicitly racist statements. He has declared that ‘Exceptional white men are not only the builders of Western civilization but are the ones most capable of appreciating the fruits of our heritage.’ And he has advocated to Make the descendants of slaves pay reparations to the descendants of slave owners.’”
Ingrassia’s nomination has been sent to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. While we was scheduled to have a confirmation hearing on Thursday, July 24, his hearing has been delayed.