Well, folks, buckle up because this story has all the ingredients of political drama: high-stakes maneuvering, a federal workforce shakeup, and an administration determined to crack down on what it sees as bureaucratic sabotage. The spotlight here is on Elizabeth Peña, a Biden-era official who was quietly slipped into a Department of Labor position after the 2024 election—only to be terminated after her case was exposed. Let’s dive into the details.
Elizabeth Peña wasn’t just any Biden appointee. Her career reads like a playbook for political placement. She worked on Joe Biden’s Presidential Personnel Office, helping position operatives across the government, and served on Kamala Harris’s transition team. Before that, she was part of Beto O’Rourke’s campaign, vetting hundreds of potential hires. In short, her expertise was getting the right people into the right seats to execute a political agenda.
So, what happened here? Well, after Biden’s administration came to an end, Peña found herself in limbo. But instead of leaving quietly, the Labor Department created a three-year "term" position for her, sidestepping the strict rules around converting political appointees into non-political career employees. Normally, these conversions require approval from the Office of Personnel Management and must be reported to Congress.
By creating a temporary role, however, the department argued those rules didn’t apply. The timing? Suspicious, to say the least. The move was made just before President Trump’s second inauguration, setting Peña up for a cushy job paying up to $153,354—a position conveniently aligned with much of Trump’s term.
When the situation was brought to light, the house of cards came tumbling down. Peña was terminated immediately, with the administration vowing to root out any other similar schemes. This is no small matter; it signals that Trump’s team is taking a hard line against “burrowing,” the process of embedding political operatives into non-political roles to influence the new administration from within. It’s a tactic that Trump officials felt hindered the effectiveness of his first term, and this time, they’re clearly ready to pounce.
The optics of this case are fascinating. Peña, a vocal advocate for "equity" and DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) policies, claimed her position was earned, not handed to her. But evidence suggests otherwise. Her job posting was uniquely labeled as a “term” position—a rare designation—and a similar permanent role was quietly canceled. Coincidence? Hardly.
And Peña’s reaction? She blamed her termination on what she called a conservative smear campaign, claiming she was being targeted for her advocacy and identity. On LinkedIn, she wrote that the coverage "flattered" her, even as she denied the narrative that she had burrowed into the position. She also pushed back against claims she was a DEI hire but added that if she were, she’d take pride in it.
The timing of Peña’s termination aligns with a broader move by the Trump administration to abolish DEI roles entirely. A memo circulated to federal agencies this week declared that such positions would be cut, citing their divisive nature, waste of taxpayer dollars, and potential for discrimination. The memo warned of efforts by bureaucrats to rebrand or obscure these roles and encouraged whistleblowers to come forward within 10 days without fear of repercussions.
This isn’t just about Peña—it’s about setting a precedent. Trump’s administration is signaling that it won’t tolerate holdovers or hidden agendas within the federal government. The firing sends a clear message: political gamesmanship won’t fly this time around.