Trump installs new GSA acting administrator, sidelines DOGE leaders
Rigas, a Trump administration veteran who has served as deputy secretary of State for Management and Resources and as acting director of the Office of Personnel Management, announced the move in a message to GSA staff on Monday morning.
'Today, at the direction of President Donald J. Trump, I have assumed the responsibilities of Acting Administrator of GSA,' Rigas wrote.
GSA staffers and people close to the Department of Government Efficiency view this appointment as a strategic move by the White House to rein in Ehikian, the former acting administrator, and Gruenbaum, the commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service within GSA. They were chosen by DOGE's former operational lead, Steve Davis, to lead DOGE after Davis and Elon Musk left government, according to three people familiar with the internal workings of DOGE and GSA and granted anonymity to speak candidly.
The change in leadership is a notable shift for GSA, one of two federal agencies that Musk came closest to controlling earlier this year. It's also the most significant public step that the White House has taken to diminish the role of Musk loyalists following the tech mogul's exit.
"The GSA has been a pillar of this success, and the President has full confidence in their ongoing work to advance this transformative agenda,' White House spokesperson Harrison Fields said in a statement.
Davis, who attempted to retain influence at GSA even after his departure from government, had a falling out with senior White House officials last month. Conversations about finding a new acting administrator started in mid-June when the White House found out about Davis' efforts, one of the people said.
In a nod to DOGE's work, Rigas emphasized that the agency will continue to prioritize the mission of being good stewards of taxpayer dollars. 'This means helping other agencies be as effective and efficient as possible in their acquisition of goods and services, their use of technology, and their use and disposal of real property,' he wrote.
Monday marked the start of Rigas' third stint at GSA. Ehikian will remain at the agency as deputy administrator, according to the internal note.
GSA has also made two new additional hires within the last two weeks, according to agency records: Doug Hoelscher of the America First Policy Institute and Kevin Hennecken, an investment analyst at BlackRock.
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