James Braid
The data on this page comes from a financial disclosure filed by James Braid, who was picked to be: Director of the Office of Legislative Affairs, White House in January, 2025. It is part of a collection of thousands of ethics documents ProPublica has been collecting from across the Trump administration.
Roles Outside Government
Officials are required to disclose paid or unpaid positions they hold or recently held outside the federal government, including roles as officer, director, trustee or employee. (Form 278e, Part 1)
| Organization | Position held | Endnote | Line No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| TRUMP VANCE 2025 TRANSITION, INC. | Director, Legislative Affairs, 11/2024 - 1/2025 | 1 |
Employment Assets
Officials are required to disclose assets associated with their employment, including salary, retirement accounts, stocks, intellectual property and awards or prizes. (Form 278e, Part 2)
| Description | Value | Income | Income Type | Endnote | Line No. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TRUMP VANCE 2025 TRANSITION, INC. | $33,750 | salary | 1 | ||
| Heritage Action for America, 401(k) plan: | 2 | ||||
| GQG PartnersEmerging Markets Equity Fund Institutional Class Shares (GQGIX) | None (or less than $1,001) | None (or less than $201) | 2.1 | ||
| Putnam Equity Income Fund Class R6 Shares (PEQSX) | None (or less than $1,001) | None (or less than $201) | 2.2 | ||
| Vanguard Mid-Cap Index Fund Admiral Shares (VIMAX) | None (or less than $1,001) | None (or less than $201) | 2.3 | ||
| Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund Admiral Shares (VSMAX) | None (or less than $1,001) | None (or less than $201) | 2.4 | ||
| Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund Admiral Shares (VBTLX) | None (or less than $1,001) | None (or less than $201) | 2.5 |
Employment Agreements
Officials are required to disclose agreements relating to other jobs, including what will happen with any small businesses they own during government service and any continued health care coverage, planned leaves of absence, severance or bonuses. (Form 278e, Part 3)
| Organization | Agreement | Endnote | Line No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heritage Action for America | I continue to participate in this defined contribution plan. The plan sponsor ceased making contributions at my separation. (2014-09-01) | 1 |
Compensation
Officials are required to disclose the sources of any compensation above $5,000 in a year. (Form 278e, Part 4)
| Organization | Description | Endnote | Line No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| TRUMP VANCE 2025 TRANSITION, INC. | Services as Director, Legislative Affairs | 1 |
Other Assets and Income
Officials are required to disclose other assets and sources of investment income belonging to them, their spouse or their dependent children. These include annuities, bonds, cash, college savings plans, farms, precious metals, real estate, stocks, trusts and wills. (Form 278e, Part 6)
| Description | Value | Income | Income Type | Endnote | Line No. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple, Inc. (AAPL) | $15,001 - $50,000 | $5,001 - $15,000 | Capital Gains | 1 | |
| iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV) | None (or less than $1,001) | $15,001 - $50,000 | 2 | ||
| ISHARES CORE MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA) | None (or less than $1,001) | $1,001 - $2,500 | 3 | ||
| U.S. Bank (Cash) | $1,001 - $15,000 | None (or less than $201) | 4 |
About the Data
Most political appointees and senior officials in the executive branch are required by law to file public financial disclosure reports. These are documents that detail their financial holdings, positions they hold outside government, their spouse’s holdings, their liabilities and their recent financial transactions (such as buying or selling stock) during a defined reporting period.
The most senior officials file their disclosures with an agency called the Office of Government Ethics, and others file them with a designated ethics official within their agency. The Ethics in Government Act allows members of the public and the press to request these documents.
We’re publishing this information to give the public an important glimpse into the financial ties of a powerful and often hidden cadre of presidential appointees within the federal bureaucracy.
The main document type included in the database is the OGE Form 278e, which appointees must file when they are nominated (for Senate-confirmed appointees) or when they enter government (all others), and then annually while in the position. Another common document included is the OGE Form 278-T, also known as a periodic transaction report, which all public filers must submit within 30 days of a transaction. We are also making other ethics documents available, such as ethics agreements, certificates of divestiture and other documents we have obtained under the Ethics in Government Act.
Join us on Wednesday, April 8 for a walkthrough of ProPublica's new database of financial disclosures from Trump appointees and any potential conflicts they reveal. Register here.
