A senior civilian official within the Office of the Secretary of the Navy, Brandon Newsom, has been placed on administrative leave by the Department of the Navy. This action follows the release of a hidden-camera video by O’Keefe Media Group that purportedly shows Newsom discussing strategies to oppose or delay policies implemented under President Donald Trump’s administration.
"The way I look at it is… when the election changes… I want to stay and stick it out so that when the time comes, I can undo whatever’s been done." — Brandon Newsom, Director of Business Operations, Office of the Secretary of the Navy
Newsom, who has served as the director of business operations in the Office of the Secretary of the Navy for 16 years, was featured in the undercover recording published by O’Keefe Media Group. The organization stated that its founder, James O’Keefe, conducted the interview while in disguise. According to O’Keefe Media Group, Newsom's responsibilities include overseeing business operations that support Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, encompassing human resources, information technology, security, facilities management, records management, and the implementation of executive orders. The outlet clarified that Newsom is not related to California Governor Gavin Newsom.
In the recording, Newsom appeared to articulate a desire to remain in government service with the explicit goal of reversing policies after a future change in administrations. "The way I look at it is… when the election changes… I want to stay and stick it out so that when the time comes, I can undo whatever’s been done," Newsom is quoted saying in the video. When questioned about his capacity to influence policy, Newsom reportedly acknowledged that he lacked direct authority to reverse decisions but believed he possessed significant influence through his position within the bureaucracy. "I don’t have the authority to do that, but I have the influence," he reportedly stated.
The video also captured Newsom discussing specific policies he expressed a desire to see altered. One such policy involved the Pentagon’s monthly voluntary Christian faith service program, which includes prayer, Bible readings, and sermons. Newsom conveyed his belief that religious services within the Pentagon should encompass multiple faiths rather than focusing exclusively on a single tradition. Additionally, Newsom discussed the Schedule Policy, a federal workforce classification that impacts certain senior career employees in policy-related roles. He claimed he had been converted to this classification and argued that it reduced his employment protections. "Hopefully that’s the first thing that gets undone," he remarked in the recording, referencing the Schedule Policy.
Furthermore, the video reportedly showed Newsom detailing what he described as efforts by some government employees to intentionally slow the implementation of administration policies. "I mean there’s a lot of things they tried to do in the very beginning that they’ve still not rolled out because you have certain people in certain positions who can slow roll things," Newsom said in the recording. These statements suggest a deliberate internal resistance to the directives of the current administration.
O’Keefe Media Group reported that it sought comments from both Newsom and the Department of Defense prior to publishing the video. Following its public release, Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao announced that the department had initiated an investigation into the matter. In a public statement, Cao emphasized the seriousness with which the Department of the Navy views the conduct depicted in the video. "The Department of the Navy takes the conduct shown in this video extremely seriously," Cao stated. "Such statements and apparent intent to leverage a position to undermine the policies and direction set by our elected leaders are inappropriate and incompatible with the standards expected of Department personnel." The investigation is expected to determine the full extent of Newsom's alleged actions and influence, as well as any potential breaches of federal employee conduct standards. The outcome of this investigation could have implications for the relationship between political appointees and career civil servants within the federal government.
