Bill McGinley, appointed by Trump in December as DOGE's legal counsel, is currently in talks with several large companies about returning to the private sector. His departure follows Vivek Ramaswamy, who previously co-headed the Government Effectiveness Department with Musk. Vivek resigned amid tensions with Musk and plans to run for governor in Ohio.
Bill McGinley was appointed by Trump in December as DOGE's legal counsel. Shortly after winning the election in November, Trump said he planned to appoint McGinley as White House counsel, the president's top legal adviser. However, a few weeks later, Trump changed his mind and appointed him as DOGE’s legal counsel.
McGinley is currently in talks with several large companies to return to the private sector. McGinley is a partner at the law firm HoltzmanVogel and served as Cabinet secretary during Trump's first term. McGinley said, "I am discussing opportunities with multiple private companies and will announce specific plans in the coming weeks. I support President Trump, Vice President Vance, and the excellent team at the White House and throughout the Administration 100%."
McGinley's departure follows Vivek Ramaswamy, who previously co-headed the Government Effectiveness Department with Musk. According to reports, Vivek resigned due to tensions with Musk and plans to run for governor of Ohio.
Although DOGE was originally conceived as an external advisory committee, Trump signed an executive order after taking office, explicitly integrating DOGE into the executive branch and replacing the U.S. Digital Service.
Trump said in December that McGinley would help DOGE cut regulations and reduce spending. Musk said DOGE's goal is to help the government cut up to $2 trillion in spending, calling that number a "best-case scenario."