A powerful member of the Federal Trade Commission has worked on posting her high profile-despite President Trump’s requests for federal employees to appear in the office five days a week, the post has learned.
Melissa Holyoak, a Republican Commissioner of FTC who was confirmed by the Senate in March 2024, was never transferred to Washington DC and continued to live in Utah with her husband and four young children told the post.
Senior US regulatory submission to FTC offices at 600 Pennsylvania Ave. – Just a few blocks on the street from the White House – have been so rare that they looked visible when they actually occur, sources said.
“I would never see him in the office,” a former FTC official told The Post. “It would fly for the holidays only.”
This despite Holyoak is one of the only two members left in the five -place panel after Trump’s surprise fires of two Democratic commissioners earlier this month. It is also despite a stalemate from the Efficiency Department of the Government of Elon Musk, or Doge, as the President in January ordered most federal employees to work in full -time office or be fired.
“I’ve never heard of a commissioner living on the other side of the country. I think it was a strange situation,” according to a second official who recently left the agency.
“Most staff were expecting it to be transferred to DC,” the source added. “This is a presidentally assigned position, confirmed by the Senate. For someone at the level to call it was surprising.”
The 39-year-old official recently claimed a coveted office at the FTC headquarters with a balcony, high ceilings, an unhindered view of the Capitol and its private bathroom, sources said. The office was previously occupied by FTC President Andrew Ferguson, the other remaining commissioner who moved after his appointment to first place.
“I am honored to serve as a commissioner for Trump-country FTC, and to work with my friend, President Andrew Ferguson, and our talented nationwide staff to protect diligent Americans from fraud, reduce health care prices and other consumer goods, and return to Big Tech,” Holyoak said. “FTC’s work is not limited to Washington, DC – the agency has a nationwide remit.”
A source close to Holyoak said she moved to the old office of Ferguson only after Democratic Commissioners, Alvaro Beedoya and Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, were fired on March 18.
The source also pushed back to the idea that Holyoak has not spent enough time in the country, claiming that she has met widely, personally, with staff in the main departments across the FTC since it was confirmed in 2024, including competition offices, consumer protection and economics.
“For six of the last eight weeks, the Commissioner has traveled to the DC with its currency and worked outside the DC,” the source said. “Over the next two weeks, she traveled to two regional offices to meet personally with staff.”
Holyoak has visited four of the FTC regional offices in person, including three within the last two months. She has also spoken in 16 different events in the last two months to “share the advantages and agenda of FTC Trump-country,” the source added.
However, sources insist that Holyoak had few contacts with rank and files in the FTC that performs the agency’s daily business during their time with the agency.
The differences of the time zone and the lack of face time makes it “difficult to build a connection with it” and occasionally makes it “more difficult to get involved in the agency business,” the second source added.
Prior to the Trump’s election victory, most FTC employees were required to enter at least twice during the payment period, though many decided to come more often, sources said.
Bedoya and Slaughter, both commissioners of the resting Democrat, have called for illegal holidays and have indicted them to return them.
Holyoak and Ferguson, both Republicans, have been named co-defendants. Mark Meador, who was appointed by Trump to be the third Republican FTC Commissioner, is expected to be confirmed, but he has not yet received a full vote in the Senate.
Doge offered purchases to millions of workers who did not want to implement as part of a broad, trump -backed effort to reduce federal expenses and debris. Doge has also captured federal travel budgets, with some exceptions to law enforcement and immigration officials.
Holyoak, the former Utah -General Avocate, also spent five years as a lawyer for the Institute of Competitive Enterprises. The tank of thought “protects the removal of antitrust law” and has attracted funds from large technology firms such as Google, Meta and Amazon.
Before Ferguson deducted the high concert, Holyoak status as a Republican and active FTC commissioner placed him on the short list of potential candidates to replace Democrat Lina Khan as the head of this year.
As the post reported at the time, a perception that Holyoak was too gentle about great technology prevented her offer.
Since taking over as a chair, Ferguson has pledged to continue a blow to the Big Tech, including pursuing a future antitrust case against meta that may result in the company’s demolition. Ferguson has also supported Trump’s decision to light the two FTC Democratic Commissioners.
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