President-elect Donald Trump’s transition staff tapped a former senior well being official from Trump’s first administration and an ally to high Trump loyalist, Harmeet Dhillon, to be Well being and Human Companies Secretary-nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s chief of workers, a brand new report indicated Monday.
Heather Flick, a lawyer who beforehand served in a number of high roles on the Health and Human Services (HHS) Department through the first Trump administration, has been working carefully with Kennedy over the previous couple of weeks as an off-the-cuff chief of workers, according to Politico. The outlet added Monday that she had been tapped by Trump’s transition staff to fill the position completely, based on 4 sources acquainted. The announcement has but to be made public.
In the meantime, the legislation agency that presently employs Flick, in addition to its founder, congratulated her on the brand new place this week on their social media accounts. Fox Information Digital reached out to the Trump-Vance transition team for affirmation however didn’t hear again in time for publication.
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Flick’s choice to work in Trump’s second administration is simply the most recent choose amongst an inventory of Trump loyalists who’ve been given jobs within the administration throughout his second time period. When Flick first joined the Trump administration, she was HHS’ performing normal counsel earlier than turning into its performing secretary for administration after which ultimately a senior adviser to then-HHS Secretary Alex Azar.
Earlier than becoming a member of HHS the primary time, Flick was an lawyer at Dhillon Legislation Group, a agency based by Dhillon, who Trump has tapped this time round to be his assistant lawyer normal.
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Dhillon has represented purchasers in massive conservative civil rights instances and defended Trump supporters in courtroom. Throughout the pandemic, she challenged Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s stay-at-home orders, and in 2020, she served because the co-chairwoman of Legal professionals For Trump, a conservative group of legal professionals supporting Trump all through the 2020 election. Most not too long ago, Dhillon helped lead Trump’s election integrity staff in Arizona through the 2024 election.
“Heather Flick is excellent and can most positively assist quickly to be Secretary of Well being and Human Companies Robert F. Kennedy Jr.,” former Trump Nationwide Safety Adviser Michael Flynn stated in a publish on X after information of Flick’s new position.
Flick’s appointment comes amid rumblings from a few of Kennedy’s allies that he may advance an agenda that isn’t fully consistent with the Trump world, however quite extra centered round Kennedy’s priorities, Politico reported.
The potential HHS secretary has been taking conferences with lawmakers on Capitol Hill not too long ago in an try to shore up help. Democrats and Republicans have each been very essential of the HHS secretary-nominee’s opinions about vaccines, whereas Republicans have additionally been probing Kennedy throughout conferences about his previous pro-choice views on abortion.
Critics of Kennedy have questioned his capability to deal with main crises just like the COVID-19 pandemic and posited that Kennedy pushes conspiracy theories about issues like vaccines and antidepressants. In the meantime, enterprise leaders have urged there’s motive to fret as effectively, on account of previous claims Kennedy has made concerning the risks of meals components, pesticides and vaccines.
Flick might be tasked with serving to Kennedy clear up a few of these criticisms. One former Meals and Drug Administration Official, granted anonymity to talk overtly, informed Politico that relying upon how concerned HHS Secretaries are within the company’s work, their chief of workers can find yourself being “very, very concerned.”
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“On actually high-profile issues, if she’s an efficient chief of workers, she may very well be tremendous concerned,” the previous official added. “I actually noticed that occur throughout a number of administrations.”
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