GAO legal finding on succession casts doubt on leadership of Department of Homeland Security

The Trump administration has inappropriately named two officials to the “acting secretary” post since the resignation of former Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen in 2019, according to a report from the Government Accountability Office, which found the appointments of Acting Secretary Chad Wolf and his predecessor violated the law covering DHS succession.

GAO has referred the matter to the DHS Inspector General, according to the report released today, while DHS through a spokesman rejected the conclusions and called the report...