Walter Shaub

As Director, Shaub was outspoken with concerns about the Trump administration during the transition period before he took office. He delivered a speech on January 11, 2017 regarding concerns with the president-elect's refusal to divest his assets and, instead, place them in trust managed by his sons. Shaub was also the author of a series of tweets published on the Office of Government Ethics Twitter account, which gained media attention for breaking from the account's typically serious tone to mimic Donald Trump's tweeting style and congratulate him on his announcement that he would divest himself of his business assets.

On April 28, 2017, Shaub issued a data call directing the White House, agency ethics officials, Inspectors General, and the White House to produce copies of the ethics waivers given to ex-lobbyists in the executive branch. Writing on behalf of the administration on May 17, 2017, Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney sent Shaub a letter that seemed to question OGE's authority to collect the requested ethics records. Mulvaney sent copies of his letter to every General Counsel and every designated agency ethics official in the executive branch.

On July 6, 2017, Walter Shaub submitted his resignation, effective July 19, 2017, saying that ethics rules should be tighter.

Shaub has vocally supported the need for the investigation into Russian meddling in the U.S. elections to remain independent of White House interference by President Donald Trump and his associates. On December 15, 2017, Shaub issued a warning to Trump, saying that "firing Mueller is a red line he must not cross."

In 2006, Shaub joined the Office of Government Ethics to become the attorney in charge of the Presidential nomination program. He held this position for two years before becoming the Deputy General Counsel in 2008. In 2013, he was appointed by President Barack Obama to a five-year term as the director of the Office of Government Ethics.

Shaub graduated from South Lakes High School in Reston, Virginia. He earned a B.A. degree in history from James Madison University, then earned his J.D. degree from American University Washington College of Law. From 1997 to 2004 he was an attorney in federal agencies including the Office of Government Ethics, the main office of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the Office of General Counsel of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs Baltimore–Washington Regional Counsel's office. In 2004, he became an attorney at the Shaw, Bransford, Veilleux and Roth law firm.

Walter Michael Shaub Jr. (born February 20, 1971) is an American attorney specializing in government ethics who, from January 9, 2013 to July 19, 2017, was the director of the United States Office of Government Ethics. As of July 19, 2017, he joined the Washington D.C.-based election law organization the Campaign Legal Center (CLC) as Senior Director, Ethics.