The Senate’s confirmation of Chad Wolf allows Trump to tap him for Department of Homeland Security acting secretary

WASHINGTON – Just now, the Senate voted to confirm Chad Wolf as an undersecretary at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), opening the door for Trump to appoint him as acting secretary of DHS. Restore Public Trust released the following statement in response: 

“In spite of his dishonesty and disloyalty, the door is now open for Chad Wolf to take up a position of even greater authority at the Department of Homeland Security,” said Lizzy Price, director of Restore Public Trust. “Not only did Wolf lie under oath about his role in crafting the administration’s family separation policy, he’s the protege of Kristjen Nielsen, under whose watch children taken from their families were abused and sexually assaulted. Some even died. The Senate’s vote today paves the way for Wolf to cause even greater harm as acting secretary of DHS. Congress must not allow that to happen — Wolf needs to be held accountable.”

Yesterday, before the Senate’s vote to invoke cloture on Wolf’s nomination, Senators Chuck Schumer and Jacky Rosen highlighted that Wolf lied under oath. Here’s the timeline of Wolf’s involvement in developing the administration’s family separation policy, and his attempt to cover it up:

• In December 2017, as chief of staff to then-Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, Wolf sent a list of suggested tactics for curbing immigration to the office of then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions that included the option to “separate family units.” In an email, Wolf said the list was pulled together by himself and two others.
• In March 2018, Wolf’s calendars showed a meeting on family separations, and a pre-meeting phone call suggesting he had requested a meeting on the topic.
• In June 2019, during his Senate confirmation hearing, Wolf denied helping develop the Trump administration’s family separation policy, saying he first became aware of it in April 2018.
• In November 2019, Restore Public Trust sent a letter calling on a Senate committee to refer Chad Wolf to the Department of Justice to be investigated for lying under oath.

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