President Trump has nominated Dennis Kirk, a former OPM official and co-author of the Project 2025 blueprint, to be inspector general at the Department of the Interior. Critics, including Rep. Jared Huffman, called the nomination "fraudulent" and warned Kirk's Project 2025 ties threaten independent oversight. The move arrives amid controversy over no-bid contracts for a Reflecting Pool renovation and other D.C. projects. Former IG Mark Greenblatt also cautioned that Kirk's appointment raises serious questions about the office's independence.
Trump Nominates Project 2025 Co-Author Dennis Kirk As Interior Inspector General; Critics Raise Alarm
Trump wants author of Project 2025 playbook to be one of his government watchdogs
President Donald Trump has nominated Dennis Kirk — a former official at the White House Office of Personnel Management and a co-author of the far-right Project 2025 blueprint — to serve as inspector general for the Department of the Interior, according to reports in The Hill and the Associated Press.
Kirk previously worked as a watchdog within the intelligence community last year, The Washington Post reported. His association with Project 2025, a conservative policy playbook, has become a focal point for critics who say the plan outlines sweeping changes to the federal workforce.
Sharp Criticism From Lawmakers
"Dennis Kirk is a fake and fraudulent watchdog. Everyone should have their eyes wide open. Each and every thing this political puppet does will be in the service of Donald [Trump]," Representative Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) said in a statement.
Huffman also accused Kirk of helping to draft a "playbook for seizing control of the federal workforce," and said his placement in the office charged with rooting out corruption at Interior is deeply troubling. The Interior Department oversees national parks, public lands, tribal programs and other federal resources.
President Donald Trump has reportedly nominated one of the authors of Project 2025, Dennis Kirk, to serve as a watchdog for the Interior Department (AP)
Context: D.C. Projects and Contracting Controversies
The nomination comes amid tension over several Trump-era projects in Washington, D.C., including renovations tied to the president's private spaces and a controversial decision to drain and close the Reflecting Pool near the Lincoln Memorial. Reporting has focused on irregularities in the contracting process for the Reflecting Pool work, which included unusual no-bid contracts — a detail critics say heightens the need for independent oversight at Interior.
Former Inspector General Voices Concern
The current acting head of the Interior Department's inspector general's office is Caryl Brzymialkiewicz, who replaced Mark Greenblatt in January 2025 after Greenblatt was removed when Trump returned to office. Former Inspector General Mark Greenblatt posted a statement on his website warning that Kirk's placement should "concern anyone who values independent government oversight."
"Placing someone with that background inside an inspector general's office raises serious questions about the independence of one of the federal government's most important accountability institutions," Greenblatt wrote.
The Independent has requested comment from the White House. As a presidentially nominated post, the Interior inspector general appointment would typically face Senate consideration and likely scrutiny during any confirmation process.
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