Brandon Wright, a GS-14 Platform Services Manager for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), admitted that career officials within the department actively resist directives from political appointees, including newly appointed DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.
“The truth is, we don’t let them [secretaries] get in our way,” Wright disclosed to an undercover O’Keefe Media journalist. He went on to explain the deeply entrenched bureaucratic resistance within DHS, likening it to a multi-layered septic system that filters out directives it does not align with. “There’s a lot of layers, like [in] government… By the time the actual marching orders get to me and below, we can filter it in a way that steadies the ship.”
This admission exposes a deliberate effort within the department to manipulate the interpretation of policy decisions based on personal and ideological preferences, rather than faithfully executing the agenda set by elected and appointed officials. “If we don’t agree with those priorities,” Wright stated, confirming that DHS officials often redefine priorities they oppose to make them more palatable to their own perspectives: “There’s a lot of room for interpretation.”
Wright didn’t mince words about his view of Kristi Noem’s ability to lead the department, declaring: “Kristi Noem doesn’t know… She doesn’t know her ass.” He went even further, casting doubt on her competency: “The Department of Homeland Security could fall on her f*cking head, and she wouldn’t recognize what it is.”
His disdain for Noem’s leadership was clear, as he admitted: “To say that I am not excited about this would be the most epic understatement.”
The Department of Homeland Security provided the following statement to O’Keefe Media Group:
“Secretary Noem has not seen the video in its entirety. This type of behavior will not be tolerated. This person has been placed on leave and is under investigation… The senior official says the termination of the official is imminent.”
