Latest news with #PaulIngrassia
The Hill
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Senate punts on Ingrassia, controversial nominee to lead Office of Special Counsel
A Senate panel punted its consideration of Paul Ingrassia amid concerns about the controversial nominee to lead the Office of Special Counsel. Ingrassia was slated for a confirmation hearing Thursday before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee (HSGAC), but his name was quietly removed from the agenda. Ingrassia, a former podcast host, has made a series of controversial remarks praising right-wing figures and the events of Jan. 6, 2021. 'I'm relieved to see that Paul Ingrassia, the nominee to run the Office of Special Counsel, has been pulled from today's hearing. The Office of Special Counsel is an independent, nonpartisan agency that investigates allegations of prohibited personnel practices involving federal employees, including whistleblower retaliation,' Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), the top Democrat on the committee, said during his opening remarks. 'Mr. Ingrassia is unqualified for the position, both in terms of legal experience and given his long record of bigoted statements. And I urge the administration to formally withdraw his nomination.' A White House official said they do not plan to do so. 'Paul Ingrassia is still the nominee and is currently serving in his role as White House Liaison to the Department of Homeland Security. He will spend the next month speaking with Senators and we expect him to be swiftly confirmed. The President has full confidence in him and his ability to lead the Office of Special Counsel,' an administration official told The Hill. In 2020, Ingrassia said it was 'time for @realDonaldTrump to declare martial law and secure his re-election.' He also said in December that President Trump should 'offer reparations to the tune of $1 million per family (at least)' for Jan. 6 defendants. Those remarks run afoul of a pledge by Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who said he plans to oppose any Trump nominee that expressed support for Jan. 6. 'The guy's got the exact wrong rap sheet to get my support,' Tillis told The Washington Examiner. "It's January 6th, it's a number of other things. So, I think he's one of these people that's checked all the boxes and they're all the wrong boxes," he told NBC News. 'It's pretty apparent to me he's not ready for prime time, but he's young, he's got plenty of time to learn,' Tillis said. Ingrassia is a former writer for the Daily Caller who graduated from law school in 2021. Beyond his comments on Jan. 6, Ingrassia served on the legal team representing self-described misogynist Andrew Tate, describing him as the 'embodiment of the ancient ideal of excellence' for his 'sheer physical prowess' and being 'sharp as a tack' and full of 'willpower and spirit.' Tate has been charged with human trafficking in Romania as well as rape in the United Kingdom. Ingrassia has also pushed for Nick Fuentes, a far-right activist who has espoused white supremacist and antisemitic views, to be reinstated to Twitter, now known as X, calling it a First Amendment issue in a Substack post. The role of special counsel serves many purposes. It's an office where whistleblowers can file complaints and federal workers can go for help if they feel they've been wrongfully terminated. It also investigates violations of Hatch Act prohibitions on electioneering. Trump fired prior special counsel Hampton Dellinger despite his being confirmed to a five-year term after being nominated by President Biden. During his brief time under the Trump administration, Dellinger challenged the widespread firings of probationary workers hired or promoted within the last year or two. Dellinger launched a legal challenge to remain in his post and was briefly reinstalled by the courts, but he resigned from the role when an appeals court determined he could not stay on the job as the case continued.
Washington Post
6 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Trump's pick to protect federal workers called them lazy and stupid
Paul Ingrassia is unlike any nominee ever put forward to lead the Office of Special Counsel — and his confirmation prospects are increasingly uncertain. A 2021 law school graduate with no senior government experience, Ingrassia has mostly made himself known as a loyalist to President Donald Trump who repeats scorched-earth rhetoric, expresses admiration for controversial figures and shares disdain for the federal workforce he would be tasked with protecting. On Thursday, he is set to appear at a Senate confirmation hearing, where he is expected to face tough questions over his views after one Republican senator, Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), said he will oppose his confirmation — a rare warning sign for a Trump-era pick.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump steps up effort to prevent truth from exposing his administration with new appointee
Jen Psaki points out how much of what we know about what the Trump administration is up to is due to leakers and whistleblowers on the inside exposing the truth about an administration where lying is the norm. Trump has been trying to silence truth tellers since his first day in office, and now he wants to put a loyalist, Paul Ingrassia, in charge of the Office of Special Counsel, the watchdog that deals with whistleblowers.
Fox News
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Trump's nominee to lead US Office of Special Counsel refutes antisemitic claims and ties to Holocaust denier
FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) sat down with Fox News Digital to address a barrage of attacks from Democrats and the media as he heads toward his Senate confirmation. Paul Ingrassia, a Cornell Law School graduate from Long Island, New York, was nominated by President Trump at the end of May to lead OSC, a nonpartisan, independent agency mainly responsible for investigating and protecting federal whistle-blowers, and enforcing the Hatch Act, which restricts federal employees from using federal funds for political gain. Ingrassia, who is just 30 years old and served as White House liaison to the Department of Justice before being reassigned to the Department of Homeland Security in Trump's second term, has faced heavy criticism from Democrats and the mainstream media leading up to his Senate confirmation hearing. Concerns mainly surround his young age paired with antisemitic allegations, which Ingrassia has sternly denied. "I'm not an antisemite," Ingrassia said on a call with Fox News Digital. "The hit piece and the smears that are being propagated by CNN is just a total lie." "The fact that they're smearing me as a Holocaust denier, I think it's disgusting," Ingrassia continued. "I grew up in New York, New York, where there were within my own neighborhood survivors of the Holocaust three houses down from me and I [listened] to their stories. I understand that we can never go through something like that ever again." Ingrassia is alleged to have ties with fringe figure Nick Fuentes, an openly outspoken antisemite and Holocaust denier. Trump's OSC nominee previously posted to X that Fuentes should be allowed to speak at a Talking Point USA conference last year, arguing that "conservatives should always uphold the first amendment," referring to Fuentes as a "dissident" voice. But when asked about antisemitism broadly, Ingrassia made clear that his views on the matter do not align with those of Fuentes. "I've done a lot currently in my role as a White House liaison to advance Jewish patriots and many jobs across the federal government," Ingrassia told Fox. "I think what happened on Oct. 7 was, you know, an atrocity, a tragedy, and I never want to see something like that happen again." CNN also claimed that various Jewish advocacy groups didn't know who Ingrassia was and did not endorse him, with one of those groups being the Zionist Organization of America. However, the organization's national president was quick to dispute the claim. "A CNN article [said] that I never endorsed Paul Ingrassia for his nomination of a position with OSC," Morton Klein, national president for the Zionist Organization of America, told Fox News Digital. "In fact, I merely stated that I didn't clearly recall endorsing him. But upon further reflection, I now recall that I did endorse him during a recent Newsmax interview. And since then, I've had further conversations with Paul Ingrassia which only strengthened my support of having him confirmed." "He also made clear to me that he finds 'Fuentes views on denying the Holocaust and viciously and inappropriately condemning the Jewish State of Israel abhorrent and despicable,'" Klein said. CNN also quoted Jonathan Burkan, a Trump-appointed member of the Holocaust Memorial Council, as another Jewish advocate who does not support Ingrassia. But Burkan told Fox News Digital: "On a personal level, I know Paul to be a good man who is not an antisemite nor a Holocaust denier." "I am confident based on my conversations with him that he is a friend and an ally of the Jewish community, and anything to the contrary is a vicious and disgusting smear against him." The timeline for Ingrassia's Senate confirmation hearing and confirmation is unclear, but he will likely face questions surrounding similar topics when facing Congress. Preston Mizell is a writer with Fox News Digital covering breaking news. Story tips can be sent to and on X @MizellPreston
CNN
09-07-2025
- Politics
- CNN
The Trump administration said ‘many Jewish groups' support a controversial nominee — some have never heard of him
In defending its nominee to lead the Office of Special Counsel, the government's top watchdog, the Trump administration insisted to CNN last week that Paul Ingrassia, a 30 year-old lawyer with a history of racist rhetoric and ties to a Holocaust denier, had the backing of 'many Jewish groups,' listing four. But when CNN reached out to those groups, most said the same thing: they don't support Ingrassia — and, in some cases, don't even know who he is. One went on the record to support Ingrassia — but that came after its executive director initially told CNN they were not supporting his nomination. The first group listed, the Zionist Organization of America, and its leader Mort Klein, told CNN through a spokesperson that he doesn't know Ingrassia and had not endorsed him. The chairman of a second group, the US Holocaust Memorial Council — which the administration originally referred to as 'The Holocaust Council' — told CNN it is a nonpartisan, nonpolitical group that does not take positions on political nominees. The executive director of a third listed group, the Israeli Defense and Security Forum (IDSF) — an Israeli-based advocacy group for the country's national defense, also told CNN they had never expressed support for Ingrassia. The executive director of a fourth group, the Israel Heritage Foundation, initially told CNN the same. But several days later the group's president said they were in fact supporting Ingrassia. Ingrassia, who has just over six months of government experience, was nominated in May to lead the Office of Special Counsel, an independent agency tasked with protecting federal whistleblowers and enforcing civil service laws. Last week, CNN's KFile reported Ingrassia's history of racist invective and conspiratorial rants, as well his claims that straight White men were the most intelligent demographic group. In a tweet, Ingrassia called the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack against Israel, which killed an estimated 1,200 people that day and took another 251 people hostage, a 'psyop,' or a psychological operation. His nomination has drawn scrutiny over his past promotion of conspiracy theories and tweets from his podcast that included calls for martial law following Donald Trump's 2020 election loss and harsh anti-Israel rhetoric aimed at the GOP. Ingrassia has also been scrutinized for his ties to Nick Fuentes, a noted White nationalist and Holocaust denier, as well as his defense of Fuentes' ability to post on social media. Given a chance to respond to those comments last week, the administration replied with a statement attributed to an unnamed senior administration official. 'He has the support of many Jewish groups and has been a steadfast advocate for Jewish causes and personnel during his time working for the Trump administration,' the statement read. When asked which groups were consulted, the administration initially named just two: the Zionist Organization of America, and a group they called 'The Holocaust Council' — of which no group by that name could be found. Reached for comment, a spokesperson for Morton Klein, the president of the first group listed, initially told CNN last Thursday that he had never heard of Ingrassia and had not endorsed his nomination. Told of his denial by CNN, the administration pointed to a segment from June in which Klein is asked on the 'Wise Guys with John Tabacco' show on Newsmax if he'd support 'my buddy Paul Ingrassia,' for special counsel. 'If you ask me to do that I will certainly do that,' Klein replied. Told of the administration's response, a Klein spokesperson reiterated it was an off-hand comment, and he did not know who Ingrassia was. After several emails from CNN asking for clarity on 'The Holocaust Council,' the administration said they meant the United States Holocaust Memorial Council, the board of trustees for the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. But that group is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and the chair of the board of trustees told CNN they do not endorse nominees. 'The museum and the council do not take positions on nominees. We're a nonpolitical and nonpartisan organization,' Stuart E. Eizenstat, chair of the Holocaust Memorial Council and a Biden presidential appointee, said in a phone interview. When asked if they meant individual board members support Ingrassia, a senior Trump administration official responded, 'it's a good question,' and then did not respond to follow up inquiries. At least one member of the board of trustees of the Holocaust Memorial Council has commented in the past on Ingrassia publicly: Siggy Flicker, a former cast member of 'the Real Housewives of New Jersey,' whom Trump appointed in May. Flicker called Ingrassia an 'antisemite' several weeks ago in a since-removed post on Instagram. A source familiar with the board said Flicker removed the post after speaking with Ingrassia. Flicker did not respond to repeated CNN requests for comment. The administration also pointed to Jonathan Burkan, a Trump-appointed member of the Holocaust Memorial Council, as supporting Ingrassia's nomination. But Burkan told CNN, while he spoke to Ingrassia through a mutual friend and Ingrassia told him he was not antisemitic, 'I don't get involved in any nominations. I'm just not doing that.' Last week, CNN reported that Ingrassia was spotted at a 2024 rally for Fuentes in Detroit and defended him online, including calling for his reinstatement on Twitter. A now-deleted X account tied to Ingrassia's former podcast also echoed far-right and anti-Israel rhetoric, amplified Fuentes' posts, and called for Trump to declare martial law after his defeat in 2020. Ingrassia disputed to The Intercept and NPR in May that his attendance at the rally was intentional. 'I had no knowledge of who organized the event, observed for 5-10 minutes, then left,' he told NPR. After CNN's story published, the administration listed two other groups — the Israel Heritage Foundation and the Israel Defense and Security Forum — as supporting Ingrassia. IDSF's CEO Yaron Buskila told CNN that his organization had not endorsed Ingrassia, but that it was possible one of its 50,000 members did. 'No one ever supported him or said something about him in the media. Generally we are not supporting politicians, we support only ideas that can benefit the security of Israel,' he told CNN in an email on Sunday. The director of international relations for the group also told CNN on Monday in an email they were not supporting Ingrassia. 'I wish we can be more helpful, but as you probably know, IDSF is an Israeli NGO (not a Jewish NGO) that focuses on Israeli national security issues. We really are not a relevant organization to be addressing the viability of a candidate for the Office of Special Counsel,' Elie Pieprz, the director, told CNN. 'We are not familiar with Paul Ingrassia and are not in a position to express support or opposition to his nomination,' he added. 'If anyone claimed that IDSF took a position on this, it was inadvertent. IDSF is not opposed or in favor of his nomination. 'None of us in the IDSF staff even heard about Paul Ingrassia before you mentioned him,' he continued. The Israel Heritage Foundation is supporting Ingrassia's nomination, the group's executive president Stephen Soloway told CNN on Monday. Their support came after the group's executive director Rabbi David Katz told CNN on Thursday they were not supporting Ingrassia. 'Something doesn't make sense,' Katz told CNN in a phone call. 'It doesn't make sense, I have no idea who he is.' On Monday, Soloway told CNN that Katz was wrong. The group was supporting Ingrassia's nomination. 'He's a major supporter of Judaism,' Soloway told CNN. 'He's not an antisemite. I consider Paul a very good friend.' Asked about the discrepancy with Katz, Soloway told CNN, 'Rabbi Katz is our cheerleader,' before insisting CNN cover 'Zofran Muhammed' in the New York City's mayoral race, presumably meaning Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee. As CNN also reported on Wednesday, Ingrassia has promoted a 9/11 conspiracy theory and others, defended January 6 rioters, and amplified extremist voices online. He describes himself as 'Trump's favorite writer' after the former president reposted his content nearly 100 times in 2024 alone. Ingrassia did not respond to a request for comment.
