{"id":2441721,"date":"2025-06-02T10:46:02","date_gmt":"2025-06-02T14:46:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/omb-strikes-back-after-sheldon-whitehouse-calls-russ-vought-creep-henchman\/"},"modified":"2025-06-02T10:47:18","modified_gmt":"2025-06-02T14:47:18","slug":"omb-strikes-back-after-sheldon-whitehouse-calls-russ-vought-creep-henchman","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/omb-strikes-back-after-sheldon-whitehouse-calls-russ-vought-creep-henchman\/","title":{"rendered":"OMB strikes back after Sheldon Whitehouse calls Russ Vought \u2018creep,\u2019 \u2018henchman\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fomb-strikes-back-after-sheldon-whitehouse-calls-russ-vought-creep-henchman%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2441721&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A heated exchange has erupted between Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) led by Director Russ Vought. Whitehouse criticized Vought on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/why-this-average-american-is-voting-for-donald-trump\/\" title=\"Why This Average American Is Voting for Donald Trump\">social media<\/a>,labeling him a &#8220;creep&#8221; and a &#8220;henchman,&#8221; notably in light of recent changes in the Trump governance.The senator&#8217;s criticism intensified following Elon Musk&#8217;s departure from his role as a budget advisor. In response, OMB General Counsel Mark Paoletta defended Vought, accusing Whitehouse of hypocrisy regarding his own affiliations with an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/lib-senator-sheldon-whitehouse-defends-membership-in-exclusive-all-white-beach-club\/\" title=\"Lib ... Defends Membership in Exclusive All-White ...\">exclusive <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wherever-vanita-gupta-worked-her-fathers-money-followed\/\" title=\"Wherever Vanita Gupta Worked, Her Father\u2019s Money Followed\">beach club<\/a><\/a> in Rhode Island. This <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >dispute highlights ongoing tensions<\/a> between Whitehouse and vought, and also broader political rifts related to governmental efficiency and accountability.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">OMB strikes back after Sheldon Whitehouse calls Russ Vought &lsquo;creep,&rsquo; &lsquo;henchman&rsquo;<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1980645\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>A war of words has escalated between the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/omb\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Office of Management and Budget<\/a> and Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/sheldon-whitehouse\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Sheldon Whitehouse<\/a> (D-RI) after the lawmaker unleashed his characteristic nastiness on OMB director <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3307527\/senate-confirms-russ-vought-omb-trump-white-house\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Russ Vought<\/a>, calling him a &ldquo;creep&rdquo; and a &ldquo;henchman.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Following weeks of ripping the Department of Government Efficiency and President Donald Trump on X, Whitehouse turned up his social media heat on Vought after <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3307527\/senate-confirms-russ-vought-omb-trump-white-house\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Elon Musk<\/a> announced his departure from the Trump administration as unofficial federal budget cutter to return to running Tesla.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/washington-secrets\/3427673\/trump-wins-on-tariffs-immigration-inflation-white-house-report-card\/\">Trump wins on tariffs, immigration, inflation: White House Report Card<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/washington-secrets\/3426663\/trump-student-visa-overstays-homeland-security-data\/\">Growing threat: Foreign students not going home<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/washington-secrets\/3426486\/voters-even-harris-supporters-show-faith-in-trump\/\">Voters, even Harris supporters, show faith in Trump<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>&ldquo;Good riddance. Musk and his Musk-rats probably caused more waste than they cleaned out,&rdquo; Whitehouse said on X. &ldquo;Now the job falls to the insidious fossil-fuel-funded creep Russell Vought, their henchman at OMB,&rdquo; added the senator.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Good riddance. Musk and his Musk-rats probably caused more waste than they cleaned out. <\/p>\n<p>Now the job falls to the insidious fossil-fuel-funded creep Russell Vought, their henchman at OMB. <br \/> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/U4rd7tiU7C\">https:\/\/t.co\/U4rd7tiU7C<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Sheldon Whitehouse (@SenWhitehouse) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SenWhitehouse\/status\/1928179345132003394?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 29, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>    <\/p>\n<p>That prompted OMB General Counsel <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/author\/mark-paoletta\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Mark Paoletta<\/a> to fire off posts on X in defense of his boss and friend, accusing Whitehouse of hypocrisy and poor judgment.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">1\/ <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SenWhitehouse?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@SenWhitehouse<\/a> smears my friend &amp; colleague <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/russvought?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@Russvought<\/a> when Whitehouse &amp; wife are longtime members of ALL-WHITE Bailey&rsquo;s Beach Club in Newport, RI. Whitehouse says these clubs are a &ldquo;long tradition in Rhode Island.&rdquo; That&rsquo;s despicable. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/0XsmsCFv8K\">https:\/\/t.co\/0XsmsCFv8K<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/hs6nuIMUFP\">pic.twitter.com\/hs6nuIMUFP<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Mark Paoletta (@MarkPaoletta) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MarkPaoletta\/status\/1929291045440778626?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 1, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>    <\/p>\n<p>Paoletta, who has tangled with Whitehouse on X over ethics and his friend Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, raised reports that the senator is a longtime member of a Rhode Island beach club that has been hit over diversity matters.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;1\/ @SenWhitehouse smears my friend &amp; colleague @Russvought when Whitehouse &amp; wife are longtime members of ALL-WHITE <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2021\/06\/21\/sheldon-whitehouse-under-fire-for-membership-at-all-white-club\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Bailey&rsquo;s Beach Club<\/a> in Newport, RI. Whitehouse says these clubs are a long tradition in Rhode Island.&rsquo; That&rsquo;s despicable,&rdquo; Paoletta said on X late Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>He followed up with posts accusing Whitehouse of holding stocks in companies with which his congressional work crosses paths.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">No government official should be above the law.<\/p>\n<p>The American people deserve a comprehensive investigation into the potential violations of ethics and tax laws by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Senator <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RonWyden?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@RonWyden<\/a> and I sent a letter to AG Garland making the case.<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Sheldon Whitehouse (@SenWhitehouse) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SenWhitehouse\/status\/1810702516369449198?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 9, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>    <\/p>\n<p>Paoletta is in his second stint as OMB general counsel, holding the same position during the first Trump administration.<\/p>\n<p>He has often turned to X to take on critics of his allies, including Thomas, who is a frequent target of Whitehouse.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">.<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SenWhitehouse?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@SenWhitehouse<\/a> is a disgrace. His tactics to bully Justice Thomas have failed. As he has for past 33 yrs, Thomas is reshaping American jurisprudence faithful to Constitution. Whitehouse is lashing out because there&rsquo;s nothing he can do about it. Thomas triggers the Left. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/GOAT?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#GOAT<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/aapjlrlelq\">https:\/\/t.co\/aapjlrlelq<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Mark Paoletta (@MarkPaoletta) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MarkPaoletta\/status\/1810794148154249632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 9, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>    <\/p>\n<p>Last year, Whitehouse asked for an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.senate.gov\/news\/release\/whitehouse-and-wyden-ask-attorney-general-to-appoint-special-counsel-to-investigate-potential-ethics-and-tax-law-violations-by-justice-clarence-thomas-and-his-benefactors\/\" title=\"\">ethics investigation<\/a> into Thomas taking improper gifts.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/washington-secrets\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SEE THE LATEST POLITICAL NEWS AND BUZZ FROM WASHINGTON SECRETS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Paoletta, who authored a friendly biography of Thomas, slammed Whitehouse back then, too.<\/p>\n<p>In a congressional testimony three years ago, Paoletta noted Whitehouse&rsquo;s membership in the Spouting Rock Beach Association, also known as Bailey&rsquo;s Beach Club, and said, &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/docs.house.gov\/meetings\/JU\/JU03\/20220427\/114685\/HHRG-117-JU03-Wstate-PaolettaM-20220427.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Rules for thee, not for me<\/a>.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1980645\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1980645\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>OMB responds after Sheldon Whitehouse labels Russ Vought a &#8216;creep&#8217; and &#8216;henchman.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2647,"featured_media":2441722,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Paoletta-Vought-Whitehouse-scaled-1024x683.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[50410,21388,5894,45550,56362],"class_list":["post-2441721","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-controversy-2","tag-omb","tag-politics","tag-russ-vought","tag-sheldon-whitehouse"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Paoletta-Vought-Whitehouse-scaled-1024x683.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2441721","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2647"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2441721"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2441721\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2441725,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2441721\/revisions\/2441725"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2441722"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2441721"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2441721"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2441721"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}