Appointments and Resignations
U.S. Ambassador to Greece: Who is George Tsunis?
The first time George Tsunis was nominated to be a U.S ambassador, it did not go well. But Tsunis had learned his lesson. He waited until another Democrat occupied the White House, and he tried again. Playing it safe, Tsunis, in addition to donating to Democratic candidates, chipped in to help Republicans as well, including Rand Paul, John Barrasso and Jim Risch, all of them members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. read more
U.S. Ambassador to Belize: Who is Michelle Kwan?
When George W. Bush was president of the United States, he chose his former college roommate, Robert Dieter, to be U.S. ambassador to Belize. When Barack Obama became president of the United States, he chose his former college roommate, Vinai Thummalapally, to be U.S. ambassador to Belize. When Donald Trump was president of the United States, he broke this tradition by failing to nominate anyone to be U.S. ambassador to Belize. read more
Trump Lists Qualities for Supreme Court Nominee
AllGov correspondent Sidney Finster asked President Trump what qualities he was looking for in the nominee.
“Well,” replied Trump, “she has to be a woman, the younger the better. She has to be nice to look at, and she needs to be good on television, particularly on Fox News.”
“What about her positions on issues?” Finster persisted.
“That’s important too,” Trump assured Finster. “If she can help me win Florida or Pennsylvania or Georgia, that would help.”
read more
Director of the Office of Science in the Department of Energy: Who Is Chris Fall?
In August 2014, Fall was made assistant director for defense programs at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, also serving as acting lead for national security and international affairs policy. Fall left the White House in August 2017. Fall was given his post at ARPA-E in January 2018. President Donald Trump has twice attempted to zero out funding for the agency, which provides grants for experimental energy projects. read more
Ethiopia’s Ambassador to the United States: Who Is Kassa Tekleberhan?
In October 2015, he was named minister of Federal Affairs and Pastoral Areas Development. There, he promoted a policy of “villagization,” moving families from the country into villages. After Ethiopia’s longtime leader and human rights abuser Meles Zenawi died in 2012, Tekleberhan became the vice chairman of the Meles Zenawi Foundation. read more
U.S. Ambassador to Panama Resigns: Who Is John Feeley?
Feeley informed the State Department on December 27, 2017, that he would be leaving the Foreign Service because he no longer believed he could work for President Donald Trump. Feeley’s resignation was made public on January 12, 2018, the day after Trump remarked at a White House meeting with members of Congress working on immigration issues: “Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?” read more
Assistant Attorney General, National Security Division: Who Is John Demers?
Demers helped draft Section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act, which allows the NSA to collect emails and other electronic communications of foreign targets overseas, including correspondence with U.S. citizens. At his confirmation hearing last week, Demers made it clear that the NSA should not be required to obtain an FBI warrant before searching the communications of American citizens. He also waffled on the subject of whether journalists should be jailed for refusing to reveal their sources. read more
Chief of Protocol: Who Is Sean Lawler?
In 2000, Lawler handled flag writing duties for the commander of the Abraham Lincoln strike group, which was deployed as part of President George W. Bush’s “War on Terror”, Operation Southern Watch in Iraq, and Bush’s invasion and occupation of Iraq. Lawler moved on in 2002 to be executive assistant to the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. In 2005, he was transferred to the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis as leading chief petty officer in the Administrative Department. read more
Assistant Transportation Secretary for Research and Technology: Who Is Diana Furchtgott-Roth?
Furchtgott-Roth’s economic theories are rooted in right-wing ideologies. She’s anti-union, having proposed the longshoremen’s union be regulated to make it harder for them to strike. She criticized the Family and Medical Leave Act, claiming without evidence that it would be abused by workers improperly taking sick leave. She also criticized the Affordable Care Act, claiming, again without evidence, that it would increase bankruptcies caused by medical bills because of lower-quality healthcare. read more
Assistant Secretary for Economic and Business Affairs: Who Is Manisha Singh?
In 2010, Singh was named the first executive director of the Barer Institute for Law and Global Human Services. The institute’s mission is to study and promote the effectiveness of legal frameworks as essential elements in achieving goals for health, education, and social and economic well-being in developing countries. Singh was there only a year though, returning to work at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and then resuming work for Sen. Dan Sullivan as his chief counsel. read more
U.S. Ambassador to Bahrain: Who Is Justin Siberell?
As acting coordinator for counterterrorism, Siberell charged in 2016 that Iran was the leading government sponsor of terrorism. In 2017, he said that the majority of the world's 2016 terrorist attacks took place in Iraq, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, and the Philippines. Under Siberell’s watch, Cuba was dropped from the report for the first time in 33 years. Siberell also led the secret briefing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on “Beyond Iraq and Syria: ISIS' Global Reach.” read more
United States Ambassador to France and Monaco: Who Is Jamie McCourt?
McCourt, who is one of the most reviled figures in Los Angeles Dodgers’ history, has no experience in international diplomacy, but she did donate a lot of money to Trump’s campaign and to the Republican Party. As owners of the Dodgers, she and her husband alienated fans with higher parking prices, uniform changes and, because of a huge amount of team debt, failure to pay for talent. Jamie was made the team’s CEO in 2009 but quit in 2011 after receiving a $130-million divorce settlement. read more
Assistant Secretary for Infrastructure Protection: Who Is Christopher Krebs?
Krebs joined the George W. Bush administration as a policy adviser to Bob Stephan, then the assistant secretary for infrastructure protection. Krebs helped develop and implement DHS’ Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards regulatory program. Krebs left government in 2009 to join Dutko Risk Management, a lobbying firm, as a VP in a new division to focus on consulting with governments and businesses on risk-management issues involving threats and disaster recovery. read more
Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI): Who Is Christopher Wray?
On August 1, 2017, the Senate's 92-5 vote to confirm Wray reflected bipartisan confidence in his professed commitment to independence--a concern of lawmakers in the wake of the James Comey firing and Trump’s alleged attempts to influence the Russia investigation. Wray promised that any such attempts under his watch would be dealt with “very sternly,” and that he'd “never allow the FBI’s work to be driven by anything other than the facts, the law and the impartial pursuit of justice. Period.” read more
Director of the Defense Logistics Agency: Who Is Darrell K. Williams?
No sooner had Williams taken charge of DLA than he was presented with a damaging report by the GAO about his agency. Williams, who has worked in Army logistics his entire career, has said that his three most important standards are “Lead by example, take care of soldiers and families, and mission accomplishment. I talk about taking care of soldiers and families [first] ...because, I still believe…that if you take care of the troops, the mission will happen. The reverse is not always true.” read more
Director of the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office: Who Is Jim McDonnell?
Following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, McDonnell took a job with the U.S. Dept of Energy as the founding director of the Office of Energy Assurance, responsible for protecting the nation’s energy infrastructure. In 2002, McDonnell began working for the Homeland Security Transition Planning Office in the White House, helping to plan the newly created Dept of Homeland Security. He got into a bit of trouble at DHS, however, and was investigated for loose contracting practices. read more
Appointments and Resignations
U.S. Ambassador to Greece: Who is George Tsunis?
The first time George Tsunis was nominated to be a U.S ambassador, it did not go well. But Tsunis had learned his lesson. He waited until another Democrat occupied the White House, and he tried again. Playing it safe, Tsunis, in addition to donating to Democratic candidates, chipped in to help Republicans as well, including Rand Paul, John Barrasso and Jim Risch, all of them members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. read more
U.S. Ambassador to Belize: Who is Michelle Kwan?
When George W. Bush was president of the United States, he chose his former college roommate, Robert Dieter, to be U.S. ambassador to Belize. When Barack Obama became president of the United States, he chose his former college roommate, Vinai Thummalapally, to be U.S. ambassador to Belize. When Donald Trump was president of the United States, he broke this tradition by failing to nominate anyone to be U.S. ambassador to Belize. read more
Trump Lists Qualities for Supreme Court Nominee
AllGov correspondent Sidney Finster asked President Trump what qualities he was looking for in the nominee.
“Well,” replied Trump, “she has to be a woman, the younger the better. She has to be nice to look at, and she needs to be good on television, particularly on Fox News.”
“What about her positions on issues?” Finster persisted.
“That’s important too,” Trump assured Finster. “If she can help me win Florida or Pennsylvania or Georgia, that would help.”
read more
Director of the Office of Science in the Department of Energy: Who Is Chris Fall?
In August 2014, Fall was made assistant director for defense programs at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, also serving as acting lead for national security and international affairs policy. Fall left the White House in August 2017. Fall was given his post at ARPA-E in January 2018. President Donald Trump has twice attempted to zero out funding for the agency, which provides grants for experimental energy projects. read more
Ethiopia’s Ambassador to the United States: Who Is Kassa Tekleberhan?
In October 2015, he was named minister of Federal Affairs and Pastoral Areas Development. There, he promoted a policy of “villagization,” moving families from the country into villages. After Ethiopia’s longtime leader and human rights abuser Meles Zenawi died in 2012, Tekleberhan became the vice chairman of the Meles Zenawi Foundation. read more
U.S. Ambassador to Panama Resigns: Who Is John Feeley?
Feeley informed the State Department on December 27, 2017, that he would be leaving the Foreign Service because he no longer believed he could work for President Donald Trump. Feeley’s resignation was made public on January 12, 2018, the day after Trump remarked at a White House meeting with members of Congress working on immigration issues: “Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?” read more
Assistant Attorney General, National Security Division: Who Is John Demers?
Demers helped draft Section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act, which allows the NSA to collect emails and other electronic communications of foreign targets overseas, including correspondence with U.S. citizens. At his confirmation hearing last week, Demers made it clear that the NSA should not be required to obtain an FBI warrant before searching the communications of American citizens. He also waffled on the subject of whether journalists should be jailed for refusing to reveal their sources. read more
Chief of Protocol: Who Is Sean Lawler?
In 2000, Lawler handled flag writing duties for the commander of the Abraham Lincoln strike group, which was deployed as part of President George W. Bush’s “War on Terror”, Operation Southern Watch in Iraq, and Bush’s invasion and occupation of Iraq. Lawler moved on in 2002 to be executive assistant to the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. In 2005, he was transferred to the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis as leading chief petty officer in the Administrative Department. read more
Assistant Transportation Secretary for Research and Technology: Who Is Diana Furchtgott-Roth?
Furchtgott-Roth’s economic theories are rooted in right-wing ideologies. She’s anti-union, having proposed the longshoremen’s union be regulated to make it harder for them to strike. She criticized the Family and Medical Leave Act, claiming without evidence that it would be abused by workers improperly taking sick leave. She also criticized the Affordable Care Act, claiming, again without evidence, that it would increase bankruptcies caused by medical bills because of lower-quality healthcare. read more
Assistant Secretary for Economic and Business Affairs: Who Is Manisha Singh?
In 2010, Singh was named the first executive director of the Barer Institute for Law and Global Human Services. The institute’s mission is to study and promote the effectiveness of legal frameworks as essential elements in achieving goals for health, education, and social and economic well-being in developing countries. Singh was there only a year though, returning to work at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and then resuming work for Sen. Dan Sullivan as his chief counsel. read more
U.S. Ambassador to Bahrain: Who Is Justin Siberell?
As acting coordinator for counterterrorism, Siberell charged in 2016 that Iran was the leading government sponsor of terrorism. In 2017, he said that the majority of the world's 2016 terrorist attacks took place in Iraq, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, and the Philippines. Under Siberell’s watch, Cuba was dropped from the report for the first time in 33 years. Siberell also led the secret briefing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on “Beyond Iraq and Syria: ISIS' Global Reach.” read more
United States Ambassador to France and Monaco: Who Is Jamie McCourt?
McCourt, who is one of the most reviled figures in Los Angeles Dodgers’ history, has no experience in international diplomacy, but she did donate a lot of money to Trump’s campaign and to the Republican Party. As owners of the Dodgers, she and her husband alienated fans with higher parking prices, uniform changes and, because of a huge amount of team debt, failure to pay for talent. Jamie was made the team’s CEO in 2009 but quit in 2011 after receiving a $130-million divorce settlement. read more
Assistant Secretary for Infrastructure Protection: Who Is Christopher Krebs?
Krebs joined the George W. Bush administration as a policy adviser to Bob Stephan, then the assistant secretary for infrastructure protection. Krebs helped develop and implement DHS’ Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards regulatory program. Krebs left government in 2009 to join Dutko Risk Management, a lobbying firm, as a VP in a new division to focus on consulting with governments and businesses on risk-management issues involving threats and disaster recovery. read more
Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI): Who Is Christopher Wray?
On August 1, 2017, the Senate's 92-5 vote to confirm Wray reflected bipartisan confidence in his professed commitment to independence--a concern of lawmakers in the wake of the James Comey firing and Trump’s alleged attempts to influence the Russia investigation. Wray promised that any such attempts under his watch would be dealt with “very sternly,” and that he'd “never allow the FBI’s work to be driven by anything other than the facts, the law and the impartial pursuit of justice. Period.” read more
Director of the Defense Logistics Agency: Who Is Darrell K. Williams?
No sooner had Williams taken charge of DLA than he was presented with a damaging report by the GAO about his agency. Williams, who has worked in Army logistics his entire career, has said that his three most important standards are “Lead by example, take care of soldiers and families, and mission accomplishment. I talk about taking care of soldiers and families [first] ...because, I still believe…that if you take care of the troops, the mission will happen. The reverse is not always true.” read more
Director of the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office: Who Is Jim McDonnell?
Following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, McDonnell took a job with the U.S. Dept of Energy as the founding director of the Office of Energy Assurance, responsible for protecting the nation’s energy infrastructure. In 2002, McDonnell began working for the Homeland Security Transition Planning Office in the White House, helping to plan the newly created Dept of Homeland Security. He got into a bit of trouble at DHS, however, and was investigated for loose contracting practices. read more