Trump’s firing of the Director of the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) is not just another routine personnel change—it is an unmistakable declaration that ethics, accountability, and the rule of law mean nothing to his administration. This is not a partisan debate. This is not a “difference in approach.” This is the textbook behavior of an administration that intends to eliminate oversight, silence internal dissent, and clear the path for unchecked corruption.
David Huitema, a Senate-confirmed ethics watchdog appointed in December 2024, was supposed to serve a five-year term—a deliberate safeguard against exactly this kind of political interference. His abrupt removal signals that Trump does not want ethical constraints, legal checks, or even the mere appearance of oversight standing in his way. It’s a direct attack on the mechanisms designed to prevent self-dealing, financial abuses, and the misuse of executive power.
This move fits into a broader pattern of dismantling accountability structures. Trump also fired Hampton Dellinger, the head of the Office of Special Counsel—the office responsible for protecting federal whistleblowers and investigating Hatch Act violations. Dellinger has already filed a lawsuit, arguing that his removal is illegal, further underscoring the lawlessness at play. The timing of these firings is not coincidental. Trump is purging officials who could expose or prevent misconduct before his administration even fully takes shape.
There is nothing “unprecedented” about corrupt leaders eliminating oversight—this is how authoritarian regimes consolidate power. It is how corruption flourishes without fear of consequence. It is how administrations ensure that unethical behavior remains hidden until it is too late to stop. Trump’s playbook is not subtle. Get rid of anyone who could call out wrongdoing, surround himself with loyalists, and then operate without restraint.
We See What Others Cannot
