President-elect Donald Trump announced Thursday that he will nominate former Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia as his pick to run the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Mr. Trump also filled out top-level Justice Department positions, including deputy attorney general and solicitor general.
Mr. Collins, a Republican, is an Air Force Reserve chaplain and served in Iraq. He also represented a Georgia district in Congress from 2013 to 2021.
“Doug will be a great advocate for our active duty servicemembers, veterans and military families to ensure they have the support they need,” Mr. Trump said in a statement.
If confirmed by the Senate, Mr. Collins will be tasked with running a VA that’s expected to roll back a Biden administration rule requiring the agency to provide abortion counseling and, in some cases, abortion itself.
He will also need to get a handle on the financial issues that have plagued the agency after a 2022 law expanded benefits for veterans exposed to Agent Orange and other toxins. The law increased the number of veterans the agency cares for and generated billions in budget shortfalls.
Also Thursday, Mr. Trump released his nominations for several key Justice Department positions. The president-elect has prioritized the department because it’s critical to campaign promises to reduce illegal immigration and combat crime. He also wants to overhaul its operations, accusing it of being weaponized by Democrats against conservatives.
Mr. Trump on Wednesday nominated Rep. Matt Gaetz to serve as attorney general. He is expected to face an uphill battle for confirmation even in the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate.
On Thursday, Mr. Trump nominated his personal attorney Todd Blanche to serve as the deputy attorney general, the second-highest position in the Justice Department. Mr. Blanche has represented the president-elect for the past 18 months, including defending him during his criminal hush money trial in Manhattan earlier this year. A Manhattan jury found Mr. Trump guilty of 34 felony counts in the case; sentencing is set for later this month but could be nixed due to Mr. Trump’s status as president-elect.
Mr. Trump named another one of his lawyers, Dean John Sauer, to serve as U.S. Solicitor General, who is tasked with arguing on behalf of the administration before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Mr. Sauer represented Mr. Trump in his Supreme Court case earlier this year over presidential immunity from criminal prosecution. He secured a 6-3 ruling in July where the justices said a president enjoys immunity from prosecution for core presidential functions, presumed immunity for other official acts, but no immunity for unofficial conduct.
Mr. Trump also ousted U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Manhattan Damian Williams and announced his intent to nominate former Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Jay Clayton for the position.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York handles many high-profile cases, including financial fraud, organized crime and public corruption. It also has jurisdiction over New York’s financial companies on Wall Street.
Mr. Trump in 2020 tapped Mr. Clayton to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York as it was investigating several of his associates, including adviser Steve Bannon.
However, the selection was made toward the end of his term and the nomination never advanced.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.
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