Trump Nominates Far-Right Podcaster to Lead Ethics Office

President Donald Trump has nominated Paul Ingrassia, a 30-year-old former far-right podcaster and current White House liaison to the Department of Homeland Security, to lead the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC), an independent agency tasked with protecting federal whistleblowers and enforcing ethics laws. Ingrassia is known for his previous podcast 'Right on Point,' which promoted conspiracy theories and extremist views, including calls for martial law amid Trump's 2020 election loss. The OSC has faced turmoil under Trump's second term, with Trump firing its previous head, Hampton Dellinger, who had begun investigating the administration's mass firings of federal employees before being removed again following court rulings. Critics warn Ingrassia is unqualified and that his appointment threatens the independence and mission of the OSC, especially given its history of probing Trump aides for Hatch Act violations during his first term. Ingrassia's associations with controversial figures such as Andrew Tate and Nick Fuentes further fuel concerns about the direction of the ethics watchdog under his leadership. The nomination has sparked alarm among ethics advocates and observers who fear increased politicization of the agency under Trump’s influence.