Gregg Phillips, a controversial figure who previously headed the Office of Response and Recovery at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, continues to receive full salary and benefits while placed on administrative leave, despite recently indicating plans to step down from the federal government. His ongoing employment status on the federal payroll comes amidst public declarations that he intends to leave the administration shortly to focus on voter fraud initiatives ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.
Administrative Leave Status and Departmental Transitions
Phillips publicly confirmed his status on social media platform Truth Social, stating that he has been part of the administration since last year and plans to leave soon to rejoin election integrity efforts. Shortly after his post, Phillips was seen at the Department of Justice building in Washington DC alongside Ed Martin. Martin served as the former United States pardon attorney until President Donald Trump announced that Martin would be exiting the administration to handle legal matters related to the midterm elections.
The White House confirmed that Ed Martin will officially remain employed within the administration until September 4. Regarding Phillips, the White House verified that he is currently on administrative leave. Under standard federal personnel policies, employees placed on administrative leave remain entitled to receive their full salaries and complete benefit packages.
At FEMA, official records show Phillips was appointed last December to lead the Office of Response and Recovery, a high-level emergency management post, despite having no background or previous experience in emergency response operations. In June, FEMA announced that Phillips was taking leave for personal reasons. At that time, the agency released an official statement thanking him for his dedication, leadership, and service, crediting his work with stabilizing the department and implementing key reforms to enhance mission delivery. However, three internal officials at FEMA noted that Phillips has not been present at the agency's headquarters in Washington DC since June. Neither the Department of Justice nor Ed Martin responded to inquiries regarding Phillips' specific duties, and Phillips himself declined to provide comments.
Promoting Claims of Election Fraud
Over several years, Phillips has repeatedly advanced unverified claims concerning voter fraud in American elections. Following the 2016 presidential election, he alleged that more than 3 million non-citizens had illegally cast ballots, claiming this was the primary reason President Donald Trump did not win the national popular vote. Shortly after taking office in 2017, President Donald Trump publicly repeated and amplified these claims.
After the 2020 presidential election, Phillips played a key role with the organization True the Vote. Data supplied by the group formed the core foundation of the film 2000 Mules, which alleged that a coordinated network of individuals was illicitly paid to collect and deposit voting ballots into collection boxes across several states, claims that were subsequently thoroughly debunked.
Financial Investigations and Organization Links
An investigation conducted in 2022 examined the financial practices of True the Vote, revealing that the organization had raised millions of dollars from financial donors by promising to uncover evidence of widespread voting irregularities. Despite gathering substantial donations, the organization failed to produce verified proof of widespread fraud.
The 2022 financial investigation revealed that significant portions of the donor funds were directed to private commercial entities controlled by Phillips. Additionally, substantial sums were extended as personal loans to Catherine Engelbrecht, the founder of True the Vote. Records from the investigation also identified Phillips as having served as a board member for True the Vote during that period.
Midterm Election Focus and Upcoming Media Release
Recent public statements by Phillips on Truth Social reaffirmed his focus on alleged voter roll irregularities, pointing back to initiatives he worked on alongside Catherine Engelbrecht nearly ten years ago. However, empirical data contradicts assertions of widespread non-citizen voting. Independent research analyzing election databases, including records maintained by the conservative Heritage Foundation, shows that confirmed cases of non-citizen voting remain exceptionally rare, registering fewer than 100 total documented instances across the nation.
Addressing questions regarding Phillips' current standing with True the Vote, founder Catherine Engelbrecht stated that while the organization holds him in high regard, he is not an active member of the True the Vote team. She specified that Phillips previously provided research support as an independent contractor between 2020 and 2023. Engelbrecht offered no comment regarding his documented tenure as a board member. Meanwhile, True the Vote is preparing to release another documentary titled Trapped in advance of the midterm elections, which will once again center on allegations of systemic election fraud.
