Overview
Charles (Chuck) Ezell was acting director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management in the opening months of the second Trump administration. His February 26, 2025 joint memorandum with OMB Director Russell Vought created an agency-wide submission and review process for reduction-in-force and reorganization plans under the president's DOGE workforce order.
February 26, 2025: the decision-making document
Ezell and Vought are the two explicitly named issuing officials on the OMB/OPM memorandum. It directed agency heads to collaborate with their DOGE team leaders, prepare Phase 1 and Phase 2 reorganization plans, and send the plans to OMB and OPM for review and approval. The document distinguishes OMB/OPM oversight of proposals from each agency's statutory responsibility for final personnel actions. [1]
Other personnel instructions
OPM's published memoranda record Ezell's January 27, 2025 implementing guidance for the Schedule Policy/Career executive order, among other federal-workforce directives. [2]
End of acting term
OPM stated July 15, 2025 that Ezell concluded service as acting director as Scott Kupor took over and would remain temporarily as a senior adviser. The record does not make Ezell acting director for subsequent 2026 OPM decisions. [3]
Sources
- OPM/OMB February 26, 2025 jointly issued DOGE workforce memorandum
- OPM chronological list of 2025 official memoranda
- OPM July 15, 2025 notice of Ezell's conclusion of acting-director tenure
Evidence principle: Published proposal, appointment, document signature, agency action, and judicial ruling are different facts. A named relationship alone does not establish misconduct or authorship of another official's decision.