NW Kentucky News

House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer has initiated an investigation into the personnel actions taken by the outgoing Biden-Harris Administration. Concerns have been raised about potential efforts to embed Democrat political appointees into career civil service positions during the final days of Joe Biden's presidency. In letters sent to 24 major federal departments and agencies, Comer expressed worry that these hirings were politically motivated rather than driven by agency needs.

"The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is investigating hiring-related personnel actions taken by the outgoing Biden-Harris Administration, especially those occurring after the November elections," wrote Chairman Comer. He added that there is concern over "job postings and hiring surges not based on actual agency mission needs, but based on political goals, including a desire to 'Trump proof' agency staffs."

Political appointees can transition into career roles within different services in the executive branch, provided strict legal procedures are followed to prevent political influence. However, Comer's committee suspects that such protocols may have been bypassed by the previous administration.

"For example, Ms. Elizabeth Peña, a political appointee in the Biden-Harris White House and Department of Labor (DOL) and a staffer on the Kamala Harris transition team, was just recently hired back by DOL as a non-political 'term' position in the Bureau of International Labor Affairs," noted Chairman Comer. This case is cited as potentially indicative of broader practices where partisan individuals are placed into civil service roles through loopholes.

The committee seeks documents from all 24 departments to understand whether there was an attempt to obstruct President Donald Trump's agenda through these appointments.