James Sullivan
A veteran of the first Trump Administration, James Sullivan might not have been considered DOGE before by any media organizations. But he was hired with the Senior Advisor title and on 3/28, he took over as the Chief of Staff at OPM from Amanda Scales. He also is one of the redacted identies in court filings from the OPM. So, I think he counts? James has mainly been involved in coordinating layoffs at various agencies from his position at OPM.
Likely aliases: OPM-08
Positions
| Position | Notes |
|---|---|
| OPM |
Sources
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Systems
| System | Notes |
|---|---|
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Databricks
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Source
A hosted or self-hosted service that simplifies systems for processing big Data admin access «listed as “OPM Data Azure Databricks Admin + NP / PRD Azure Subscriptions”» |
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USA Staffing
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Source
A platform for federal agencies to recruit and onboard employees. admin access «for the govt-wide hiring freeze» |
Events
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
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1/24/25
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Source
Interagency
Representing OPM, James Sullivan coordinates in an email to Department of Energy officials on several DOGE-led initiatives. One messages states “as discussed over the phone, when you compile the list of 69 DEI employees placed on admin leave, please share with Amanda and myself.” Energy officials also send a list of 1394 probationary employees to Amanda Scales, all of whom will be fired.
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3/28/25
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Source
Action
For reasons that aren’t entirely clear, Amanda Scales is replaced as the Chief of Staff at OPM by James Sullivan. Amanda changes to a Senior Advisor position at the agency.
(fuzz: Amanda Scales reports on her LinkedIn that she left DOGE in March, so this might have been the cause)
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8/04/25
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Source
Directory
In a report about DOGE’s continued work on OPM’s Online Retirement Application (ORA) continuing to move ahead, Politico identifies DOGE staff that are working on the project under Joe Gebbia.
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