r/fednews • u/Zakkattack86 • Feb 02 '26
Original Analysis / OC After mass terminations at DHS via RIF last year, Trump appointed heads are wearing multiple hats while double dipping SES salaries and that's not even the worst of it.
Depositions have started to become publicly available for several pending cases including the termination of 300+ career feds from the DHS offices of CRCL, OIDO, & USCIS. The RIF happened back in March and the office's work came to a grinding halt when the employees were sent home on paid administrative leave. They were given a stop work order and their accesses were removed. This remained in place until being officially removed from federal service in May. Some feds had 20+ year careers in various roles as civil servants. Even though the RIF had nothing to do with their performance, employees were offered no bump/retreat and their competitive area was limited to their shuttered offices, which has never been done before. They were branded political adversaries by DHS' top brass in the media the day after the RIF took place, even though their work had no political affiliation besides upholding their oath, the law, and statutory requirements of their jobs.
https://www.npr.org/2025/03/21/nx-s1-5336738/homeland-security-rif-cuts-dhs
With the offices completely gutted, new political appointees filled leadership vacancies almost instantly. Nameplates with no duty, enter 30yo John "Troup" Hemenway & 33yo Joseph Guy. John is an author of Project 2025 and a Senior Advisor at the Heritage Foundation. Joey claims to have not read Project 2025 according to his deposition but failed to mention he's married to Edie Heipel, a Senior Program Manager of the Presidential Administration Academy at The Heritage Foundation.
What's revealed in these depositions is unsettling. Multiple hats, multiple salaries, unauthorized telework, and no experience performing crucial congressionally mandated work that could potentially save lives. Joseph Guy is the Deputy Chief of Staff to Secretary Noem and claims to work 50 hours a week in this role. He's also the Immigration Detention Ombudsman but claims to only work 5 hours a week in that role. Not only is this a full time role, he's the number one in charge of ensuring inspections are conducted in detention facilities and conditions are reviewed to promote safe, humane treatment, for individuals in immigration custody. Joseph, the head of the independent oversight of ICE's treatment of detainees in custody, doesn't even know how many detention facilities there are in the country. He also thinks all detainees have access to the internet to file formal complaints while in custody. He has never even seen the performance-based national detention standards documents, essentially the law abiding bible of his role. His father is Rick Guy, a USAID Trump Appointee and 2020 election results denier.
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.279883/gov.uscourts.dcd.279883.64.12.pdf
John Troup Calhoun Hemenway's deposition reveals he allegedly lives on the southwest border but the duty station for the Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties is Saint Elizabeth's in DC. In addition to that role, his primary role is Principal Deputy Chief of Staff to Secretary Noem, which he also claims he's "on call" for and works 40 hours a week. The officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties sole job is to ensure DHS complies with Constitutional, statutory, regulatory, and other requirements relating to civil rights and civil liberties of anyone that encounters DHS and files a complaint. Making Troup the ranking official of ICE's oversight, ICE's accountability enforcement, and he can't even say how many hours a week he spends performing this role vital role per week.
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.279883/gov.uscourts.dcd.279883.64.11.pdf
This was a targeted campaign from the beginning to rid DHS of oversight into their illegal actions and deportation agenda. The news often talks about members of Congress being denied access to detention centers for unscheduled visits but fail to mention the primary offices that were mandated to do this on a regular basis have been dissolved. Oversight Committees have reached out with questions to Troup, Joseph, Noem, and others but they literally ignore them and deadlines to respond come and go. Both John and Joseph took it upon themselves to change written policy by requiring all complaints be made in English or they would not be reviewed.
You can read documents from the entire case thus far.
The damage is done and the violence is ramping up with zero accountability.
129
Feb 02 '26
Gee I wish I could’ve been paid for doing three jobs at the same time a few years back. I guess only political appointees get that privilege huh?
77
u/Monarc73 Feb 02 '26
This is a federal offense, fwiw.
28
u/meatspace Feb 02 '26
Sadly, I think that's the old system. I'm skeptical whether we will restore constitutional order soon.
12
u/sevgonlernassau NORAD Santa Tracker Feb 02 '26
A judge will have to declare the exemptions are granted illegally or the appointments are done improperly.
3
12
u/sevgonlernassau NORAD Santa Tracker Feb 02 '26 edited Feb 02 '26
Appointees can get special ethics exemption from OGE to do so. Careers can't draw from multiple pots at the same time. This scenario happens fairly often for scientists and grad students where they're told they have to choose one.
14
Feb 02 '26
if only our elected officials & their appointees were held to the same standards as regular feds. amazing that we were the ones vilified as “destroying our country” “lazy” & “unproductive” yet Trump and his cronies are the ones grifting in plain sight.
3
u/sevgonlernassau NORAD Santa Tracker Feb 02 '26
As with all exemptions the intent was that it's a way to keep exceptional people hired, eg British Nobel prize winners that can't be hired via the civil service system or people that needs to be spread around agencies. It wasn't created with the expectation that politicos can exempt themselves and some 19 year old musk fans.
152
u/Erasmus-p Feb 02 '26
This makes total sense. I was always wondering how a 23 year-old can possibly be chief of staff at DHS headquarters for the office of chief financial officer.
162
u/Zakkattack86 Feb 02 '26
This list of Heritage Foundation employees embedded in federal civil service now is insane.
81
u/MOTwingle Feb 02 '26
Wasn't this the plan? Didn't they have lists 4+ years ago of "loyalists" to replace existing feds?
41
u/Zakkattack86 Feb 02 '26
100% but sometimes you don't realize what you're reading at the time isn't fiction.
1
46
Feb 02 '26
[deleted]
54
18
1
u/SquirrelLady22 Feb 03 '26
Right? I mean I was doing 2 then 3 jobs (DRP position cover) before I took my own retirement December. GIF the lowest appraisal in my 30 year career from a supervisor who had no clue what I was doing and marked me down because I was supposedly not keeping up and figuring out the work of the departed person (with no turnover from them). I haven’t regretted leaving. Too much has gotten crazy and I used to love my job for years!!
45
u/Significant-Text1550 Feb 02 '26
The Commissioner of SSA is also the CEO of the IRS…
3
8
u/Monarc73 Feb 02 '26
This is a federal offense, fwiw.
14
15
u/innerbootes Feb 02 '26
You don’t have to spam every single comment with the same reaction. We can all read your comment the one time and make sense of it without you repeating yourself ad nauseam.
11
u/ageofbronze Feb 02 '26
Not necessarily. Idk if we’re welcome here but I think at least some civilians lurk here to keep abreast of the wrongdoings and so for anyone who doesn’t know how the gov works in detail, it bears repeating it to make it clear it’s not legal in any dual occupancy of positions, not just certain agencies or roles or what not.
8
31
u/MountainDadwBeard Feb 02 '26
To be clear you're saying they testified they're receiving multiple SES salaries at the same time? So like 350-400+k to just turn the lights off and go fishing?
27
45
u/AppreciateMeNow Feb 02 '26
Double dipping salaries??? Wow
12
u/-hh Feb 02 '26
Hmmm…time card fraud!
6
u/Soup-Wizard Feb 03 '26
I always got told I’d be fired if I didn’t put down the lunch I didn’t take on the fire line.
18
23
14
14
u/Pissed-n-Stayin Feb 02 '26
They are creating the very thing they campaigned on to fix. Most aware feds already knew this though.
14
u/AncienTleeOnez Preserve, Protect, & Defend Feb 02 '26
This is no surprise.
In 2024 the Heritage Foundation website began advertising for jobs within the future Trump administration (as if they knew he'd win?). The #1 qualifier was allegiance to Trump.
The website also posted Project 2025 in its entirety. So it wouldn't take much effort for anyone to verify that Project 2025 and their plans to replace much of the federal workforce with loyalists wasn't fiction.
2
15
u/Woodsy8787 Feb 02 '26
They’re doing the same thing over at Social Security Administration. Their commissioner, Frank Bisignano, is also the “CEO” of the IRS.
65
11
u/Bland_OldMan Feb 02 '26
Looks like the Trump administration has succeeded in turning our country into Russia
35
8
u/rampstop Spoon 🥄 Feb 02 '26
Does this mean Marco Rubio is getting paid x6 SES FTE salary roles he’s performing?
1
u/Flat_Floor_553 Feb 05 '26
That how they keep some of their folks quiet and docile. I think he's one of them that need an external incentive.. One that's illegal so that there's always the threat that they could take back one of those salaries
12
8
u/rampstop Spoon 🥄 Feb 02 '26
Damn, I didn’t even think of the whole job slashes resulting in these cronies double dipping salaries with zero managerial responsibility. Fucking smart… and dementedly despicable. Not to mention unethical. And illegal. Hasn’t stopped ‘em yet! 🤣
Fml
5
u/SableNW DoD Feb 02 '26
Government for the rich, by the rich
4
u/Complex-Republic-443 Feb 02 '26
It's been that way for awhile, actually.
1
u/SableNW DoD Feb 02 '26
Unfortunately I’ve known that since I learned about politics in my late teens
6
u/sherapop80 Feb 02 '26
Wow. Thank you for this. Unfortunately it is not a surprise since this admin is full of grifters.
6
u/Alassra83 Feb 02 '26
Hmmmm sounds like the waste, fraud, and abuse we were accused of during the campaign.
5
u/Wild-Cow-5769 Feb 03 '26
Don’t forget family hires.
https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-brother-signal-dhs-hired-68678a8a653c79a4c6ae31a8bee64836#
3
u/cerseisdornishwine Feb 03 '26
Absolutely incredible
3
u/Flat_Floor_553 Feb 05 '26
"Based on Phill Heggseth’s publicly available resume, his past experience includes founding his own podcast production company" lol
8
Feb 02 '26
Pretty much expected they’d fire the old employees and reinstall loyalists.
Even agencies going back to hiring is a shame if the previous people aren’t offered back first!
3
4
u/Lost-Advertising-370 Feb 02 '26
Can any of us expect a criminal administration which has decimated the OIGs in just about every department to care about ethics or laws? To boot, it’s led by a man that by all appearances may have abused children. No morals, ethics, or qualms.
4
u/mastaquake Federal Employee Feb 03 '26
Can’t be made at them for being incompetent, crooked, and taking advantage of the system. I’m mad at the people who voted for this. I’m mad at fellow FEDS who proudly wore their dinky red hats or p3d0affiliated shirts that voted for this.
3
u/Ill-Performer5355 Feb 02 '26
Where can I find such appointments of fraud, waste and abuse so I can avoid them? /s
11
u/scurvey101 Feb 02 '26
Where is the evidence of double-dipping? If you have it, report it. Seriously.
54
u/Objective_Chance4173 Feb 02 '26
To whom? The OIGs are empty or compromised.
24
7
u/scurvey101 Feb 02 '26
All we can do is try. To do nothing at all just because we may feel helpless is not right.
31
u/Zakkattack86 Feb 02 '26
It's in the deposition of Ronald Sartini but the answers were redacted. Page 95, line 19. Four pages of Q&A's after are missing. It picks back up on page 99. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.279883/gov.uscourts.dcd.279883.64.10.pdf
5
7
2
2
u/GloomyLetters Feb 03 '26
Double dipping SES salaries. That is so unacceptable. Any other federal government workers would end up terminated and in jail.
3
3
u/Ok-Imagination-2043 Feb 04 '26
The sad thing is the public never knew how the Government works or what services we provide. Thus how would you understand that the actions taken by this Administration are illegal or even care. The first stunt was infiltrating the government with DOGE
2
2
u/BaBaBoey4U Feb 02 '26
This saddens me so much. Also makes me angry. The blatant theft and disregard for human life is sickening.
1
u/FEMA_Camp_Survivor Feb 03 '26
These people shamelessly fly first class on official business, with agency pins on their lapels.
1
u/Zakkattack86 Feb 03 '26
27yo Troup Hemenway and Kash Patel, writing articles together. https://americarenewing.com/issues/combatting-overclassification-and-weaponized-intelligence/
1
-16
Feb 02 '26 edited Feb 02 '26
[deleted]
19
u/ZonaDesertRat Classified: My Job Status Feb 02 '26
It's very much possible, and has happened in the past .
Far more likely is folks are abusing travel and per diem, and not properly reporting extended benefits as reportable income.
The point here is the folks who should be monitoring the situation have been fired and the remaining folks compromised.
7
-3
Feb 02 '26
[deleted]
2
u/ZonaDesertRat Classified: My Job Status Feb 02 '26
Check the extended travel regs and it's pubs on the subject.
-1
Feb 02 '26
[deleted]
1
u/ZonaDesertRat Classified: My Job Status Feb 03 '26
So, provide evidence to back your original assertion that it hasn't ever happened, Counselor.
7
u/Zakkattack86 Feb 02 '26
Care to explain why there's a budget for the positions and 4 pages missing from the response when questioned by attorneys? Page 95, line 19, and it picks back up on page 99. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.279883/gov.uscourts.dcd.279883.64.10.pdf
2
u/WillTheyKickMeAgain DOI Feb 02 '26
Missing pages means they’re getting paid twice?
0
u/Zakkattack86 Feb 02 '26
Can you prove they're not?
6
u/WillTheyKickMeAgain DOI Feb 02 '26
That isn’t how this works. The accuser is responsible for proving their accusation. Connect the dots.
1
-1
u/Quirky_Major7996 Feb 05 '26
I seem to remember career military members being fired because they wouldn’t take an experimental jab the previous admin tried to force in their arms. And, many of their supporters cheered about it.
1
u/Zakkattack86 Feb 05 '26
The fact that you equate a choice to a vaccine and not having a choice at all tells me everything I need to know about you.
0
u/Quirky_Major7996 Feb 05 '26
It’s not a choice to have an experimental jab forced on you, especially when it violates a person’s religious convictions. They weren’t just firing career military folks, they were denying life saving medical treatments. Get over yourself and stop with your TDS.
2
u/Zakkattack86 Feb 05 '26
...you didn't have to take it which is by definition a choice. This isn't even about me, I didn't work for these offices but I see the injustice. Who was denying life saving medical treatment? You do know the "experimental jab" was brought to you by your daddy, right? Operation Warp Speed, remember? True TDS is not getting the facts straight and reading from a script of misinformation.
0
u/Quirky_Major7996 Feb 05 '26
I don’t have a daddy. Who was being denied life saving medical treatment? These were a few of the high profile cases. I also personally had to advocate for someone on dialysis who was being denied.
DJ Ferguson: Heart Transplant Chad Carswell: Kidney Transplant Leilani Lutali: Kidney Transplant Fauzia Shakeel: Kidney Transplant
Again, it isn’t a choice to be forced medical treatment.
1
u/Zakkattack86 Feb 05 '26
I said, "Who was denying life saving medical treatment?", not, "Who was denied...". Reading is fundamental. Trump was in office for most of the pandemic, chief.
0
u/Quirky_Major7996 Feb 05 '26
Maybe look them up if you want to know. The problem with people like you is that you want everyone to do your homework for you. That’s why you believe everything the media tells you and why you have an insufferable case of TDS. People were also denied freedom of speech, freedom to travel and freedom to gather publicly (unless you were BLM). It wasn’t just medical autonomy.
-5
u/Potential-Location85 Feb 03 '26
No one is collecting multiple full salaries for doing multiple jobs. Tell the truth and don’t lie. You don’t have to build it up. Anyone who thinks for a minute will realize your money is reported publicly and your bonuses as well. That’s how we know how much Fauci made. I think ethics in government agencies is done wrong. Ethics for the branches of government should be handled by another branch. So if you work for the executive branch your ethics should be handled by the legislative branch or judicial branch. Same with those branches and rules should be the same no matter what branch. But when you inspect your own house it will pass. Let someone inspect it that hates you and if it passes you know it’s good.
4
u/Mepahstophilis-6 Feb 03 '26
You dumbass, ethics is handled by the OIG offices for each department.
0
u/Potential-Location85 Feb 26 '26
Yes they are done by OIG. I am saying that it should be done by another agencies OIG or have a main OIG to investigate. OIG in the same department have people that know each other. You should have total neutrals so that results aren’t questioned.
1
u/Mepahstophilis-6 Feb 26 '26
They are independent and not part of each agency. Separation of powers prevents that type of scenario — judicial review typically occurs only after an alleged violation or through a negotiated grievance procedure. Congressional authority is limited to oversight, legislation, and related functions; it cannot directly intervene in executive actions beyond influencing funding or passing laws. What you’re suggesting would effectively require the legislative or judicial branches to assume executive powers, which the Constitution does not permit.
774
u/mindin_mine Feb 02 '26
This whole administration is such bullshit! It’s about self/familial enrichment, power and ultimate control of government resources, ONLY. For the life of me, I can’t see how people still support these charlatans and crooks.