NEWS: Sen. Schiff and Colleagues Press White House on Critical Office of Government Ethics Vacancy

Washington, D.C. - Today, Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) led six Senators in pressing White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles to provide information on the top post at the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) being vacant for months, making it so OGE is unable to perform a range of critical functions to enforce our ethics laws.

"OGE's mission helps ensure that the more than 2 million government employes have the tools necessary to avoid problems related to ethics or conflicts of interest and - critically - maintain the trust of the American public. OGE simply cannot fulfill its role, as intended by Congress, without a director," said the Senators.

In February 2025, Trump removed OGE Director David Huitema, despite being confirmed by the Senate for a five-year term just months prior. The role was temporarily filled by a series of acting directors, who also served other roles in the Administration, limiting the office's ability to conduct its duties.

Schiff and the Senators highlighted that no one is currently serving in an acting role leading the agency, nor has Trump nominated anyone else for the role, and demanded answers from Wiles - noting that "without an acting or permanent director, OGE is unable to function as Congress intended."

In addition to Schiff, the letter was signed by Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D- Nev.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), and Elizabeth Warren (D- Mass.).

The full text of the letter can be found here and below.

Dear Ms. Wiles:

We are writing to express serious concern regarding the lack of permanent leadership at the Office of Government Ethics (OGE). As the supervising ethics office of the Executive Branch,¹ OGE plays a vital role in the functioning of the federal government. However, OGE has been without a permanent director for over a year and is now operating without any leadership, even in an acting capacity.

As you know, OGE is responsible for exercising "overall direction of executive branch policies related to preventing conflicts of interest."² This includes promulgating conflict of interest regulations, establishing and maintaining ethics program procedures, and providing consistent and independent advice to over 130 agencies in the Executive Branch. OGE's mission helps ensure that the more than 2 million government employes have the tools necessary to avoid problems related to ethics or conflicts of interest and - critically - maintain the trust of the American public. OGE simply cannot fulfill its role, as intended by Congress, without a director.

As you are aware, President Trump removed OGE Director David Huitema in February 2025.³ The director's office was subsequently occupied by several acting directors pursuant to the Federal Vacancies Reform Act(FVRA).⁴ These acting directors varied in their ability to lead OGE, as they maintained their roles leading other Executive Branch offices, limiting the office's ability to conduct its duties.⁵

Under the FVRA, a vacancy cannot be filled by an acting director for more than 300 days,⁶ unless a nomination is pending.⁷According to records received by Congress, OGE's most recent acting director, Eric Ueland, discontinued his service in early December 2025.⁸ Since then, the 300-day limit for an acting director to serve as the head of OGE has expired, leaving the office without the leadership it needs to function. To date, President Trump has not nominated someone to serve as OGE Director, pending Senate confirmation.

OGE carries out important duties that ensure the Executive branch and its agencies follow guidance and procedures necessary to comply with ethics and conflict of interest laws. The Ethics in Government Act, Ethics Reform Act, STOCK Act, and Executive Order 12674, as modified, require OGE's director to perform important duties including:

• "developing… rules and regulations pertaining to conflicts of interest and ethics in the executive branch, including rules and regulations establishing procedures for the filing, review, and public availability of financial statements"
• "monitoring and investigating compliance with the public financial disclosure requirements"
• "monitoring and investigating individual and agency compliance with any additional financial reporting and internal review requirements by law for the executive branch"
• establishing and maintaining a system for the electronic filing of financial disclosure reports (Integrity.gov)
• "[p]romulgating . . . regulations establishing a system of non-public (confidential) financial disclosure"
• "[p]romulgating . . . regulations that establish a single, comprehensive, and clear set of executive-branch standards of conduct"
• jointly promulgating any supplemental ethics regulations proposed by agencies to address issues of "special applicability to the particular functions and activities of that agency"
• "interpreting rules and regulations issued by the President or the Director governing conflict of interest and ethical problems and the filing of financial statements"
• "establishing a formal advisory opinion service whereby advisory opinions are rendered on matters of general applicability or on important matters of first impression"
• "ordering corrective action on the part of agencies and employees which the Director deems necessary"
• "notify[ing] the President and the Congress of the agency's noncompliance in writing (including, with the notification, any written comments which the agency may provide)"

Without an acting or permanent director, OGE is unable to function as Congress intended. Accordingly, we ask that you provide the following information by May 22, 2026:

1. Who, if anyone, has been carrying out the duties laid out in 5 U.S.C. 13121-23 at OGE since Mr. Ueland's departure in December 2025?
2. Without an acting or permanent OGE director, how has OGE been able to meet its obligations to update executive branch ethics regulations, including overseeing supplemental ethics regulations?
3. Without an acting or permanent OGE director, has OGE been able to provide formal and informal ethics guidance as required by the Ethics in Government Act and OGE's regulations?
4. Without an acting or permanent OGE director, has OGE been able to effectively oversee agency ethics programs, including gaining access to the highest-level officials and compliance with its program review requests? If not, has OGE been able to notify the White House of those deficiencies as required by law?
5. Without an acting or permanent OGE director, has OGE been able to effectively administer the financial disclosure program, including updating regulations as is necessary and appropriate and making final determinations on White House public financial disclosure reports?
6. Are efforts underway to appoint a new OGE director? If so, please describe those efforts.

We appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward to your response.

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