Paul Ingrassia, a former troubled candidate in the special counsel’s office, has taken a new job in the Trump administration.
Special prosecutor candidate Paul Ingrassia resigns
Paul Ingrassia, a candidate for special counsel, allegedly said in a group chat that he had “Nazi tendencies,” according to Politico.
- Former Trump candidate Paul Ingrassia has been appointed deputy general counsel for the General Services Administration.
- Ingrassia previously withdrew his nomination to head the Office of Special Counsel, citing a lack of Republican support.
- His resignation followed reports that he had sent racist and anti-Semitic text messages.
Paul Ingrassia, who declined the nomination to head the Office of Special Counsel after President Donald Trump reportedly sent a series of racist and anti-Semitic texts, has taken on a new role within the administration, according to reports.
Ingrassia’s alleged comments, including one that said he had “Nazi tendencies,” led some Senate Republicans to publicly say they did not support his appointment. Less than a month later, Politico first reported on Nov. 13 that the former podcaster, now the White House liaison for the Department of Homeland Security, told colleagues in an email that he was leaving his position to become deputy general counsel for the General Services Administration, which oversees federal buildings, purchasing and technology.
Ingrassia, 30, reportedly said, “It has been an incredible honor to serve with you all, Secretary (Kristi) Noem and President Trump.” “I truly feel that this group is the most powerful group of political appointees in the federal government, not only because of the work ethic of this group, but above all because of their character and integrity.”
Ingrassia said President Trump called him into his office on Nov. 12 and offered him the job, Politico reported. A White House official told the press that Ingrassia is “a very valuable addition to the GSA and will successfully implement President Trump’s America First policy.” Ingrassia has already started his new job, CNN reported. Unlike positions in the Office of Special Counsel, this position does not require Senate confirmation.
GSA did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment.
Ingrassia’s new job comes on the heels of several other Republican officials linked to Nazi symbols and ideology, including reports that members of a Young Republican group were joking about gas chambers, a swastika found inside a U.S. flag in a Republican lawmaker’s office, and revelations that an online neo-Nazi influencer is married to a local Michigan Republican.
Ingrassia’s new job comes after there was not enough Republican support for the whistleblower office position.
Ingrassia’s new role comes less than a month after he said on social media that he would withdraw his nomination to be the top special counsel and would not appear at his confirmation hearing on Oct. 23 at the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee “unfortunately, there are not enough Republican votes at this time.”
In May, President Trump nominated Ingrassia, a conservative lawyer and commentator, to head the Office of the Special Counsel, an independent agency that protects federal whistleblowers and enforces civil service laws. But several Republican senators said they would not support Mr. Ingrassia as leader.
Based on public statements, apparent non-voters included Sens. Rick Scott of Florida, James Lankford of Oklahoma, and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin. Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota last month encouraged the White House not to move forward with Ingrassia’s confirmation.
Prior to Ingrassia’s hearing, Thune even told reporters, “He’s going to fail.”
The Republican lawmakers’ decision came after Politico reported a text chat in which Ingrassia said he had “Nazi tendencies” and thought the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday should be “thrown into the seventh camp of hell.”
The report also said Ingrassia called for the elimination of other holidays that recognize black culture in the United States, such as Juneteenth and Black History Month.
USA TODAY’s Zachary Schermele, Zac Anderson and Phillip M. Bailey contributed
