Paul Ingrassia, who withdrew his nomination to lead the Office of Special Counsel last month, says in a farewell email that he’s moving to the General Services Administration.
Paul Ingrassia, a conservative activist who withdrew his nomination to oversee a government watchdog agency last month after POLITICO reported he made racist comments in a group chat, said Thursday he is moving to a new job in the administration.
The 30-year-old lawyer had been serving since February as White House liaison to the Department of Homeland Security. But in an email obtained by POLITICO, he told colleagues that he is leaving to become deputy general counsel at the General Services Administration.
President Donald Trump nominated Ingrassia in June to lead the Office of Special Counsel. But Ingrassia withdrew from consideration in October after it became clear he lacked the votes to be confirmed.
“It’s been the greatest honor to serve Secretary [Kristi] Noem and President Trump, alongside all of you,” he wrote in Thursday’s email. He added, “I genuinely feel this is the strongest group of political appointees anywhere in the federal government, which is a credit to not just this group’s work ethic, but above all, its character and integrity.”
Ingrassia said Trump called him into his office on Wednesday evening to offer him the job.
A White House official confirmed the move and added that Ingrassia “is a very helpful addition to GSA and will successfully execute President Trump’s America First policies.”
A spokesperson for GSA, which manages the federal government’s buildings, purchases and technology, added in a statement: “We look forward to having Paul Ingrassia’s legal talents help advance the GSA mission and the President’s priorities.” A spokesperson for DHS didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ingrassia and his lawyer didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. Ingrassia sued POLITICO for defamation in Warren County, Virginia, in October after POLITICO reported he had been investigated for allegedly harassing a lower-ranking colleague. Ingrassia’s attorney said he never harassed anyone.
POLITICO also reported that Ingrassia made a number of racist remarks in a text message chain from 2023 and 2024. In one of them, he remarked, “I do have a Nazi streak in me from time to time, I will admit it,” according to the texts.
A lawyer for Ingrassia did not confirm the texts were authentic and said they “could be manipulated or are being provided with material context omitted.” He added that “even if the texts are authentic, they clearly read as self-deprecating and satirical humor making fun of the fact that liberals outlandishly and routinely call MAGA supporters ‘Nazis.’”
After the article was published, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told reporters that he hoped the White House would withdraw the nomination and that “he’s not gonna pass.” Ingrassia withdrew his nomination the next day, though he kept his job at DHS.
Ingrassia held a powerful role at DHS, managing the agency’s political appointees and helping to hire new ones. He also served as a conduit to the White House Presidential Personnel Office.
Ingrassia’s relative lack of experience — he graduated from Cornell Law School in 2022 — was also a concern during his Senate vetting.
Before DHS, Ingrassia served at DOJ at the beginning of Trump’s second term but was reassigned after he clashed with the department’s chief of staff, according to ABC News.